Research points to 5.3% growth in ‘back to school’ online shopping
Back To School, an increasingly important trading period for UK retailers, delivered a welcome boost to online retail revenues, according to the latest data from Wunderkind.
Original data from Wunderkind’s Marketing Pulse, which analysed over 55.4million customer journeys during the start-of-school shopping season during 2024 and 2023, showed that web revenues for Back To School 2024 rose +5.3% year-on-year, delivering a welcome uplift in retail sales.
With Mintel estimating that UK consumer spending on Back To School items surpassed £1335millionlast year, the start-of-term trading period is now an increasingly important part of the retail trading calendar. Kantar’s latest figures show Back To School helped drive an increase in grocery spending at the end of last month, with sales of lunchbox snacks, including yoghurts, fruits and cereal bars rising +14% year-on-year in the last week of August. Meanwhile, other retailers including M&S, which froze pricing on school uniforms for the fourth year in a row and offered additional second-hand lines to keep prices low, and Asda, which reported an 88% increase in sales at the start of its Back To School campaign, vied for start-of-term share of wallet.
Wunderkind’s data showed that Thursday 29 August was the biggest revenue-generating day of the 2024 Back To School season, when online sales rose +46% on the daily average for the period (26 Aug – 08 Sep), as parents surged to make pre-term purchases. Monday 02 September, the first day of the school year for many, saw the highest converting day of Back To School, with web conversions up +10% on the daily average, as final start-of-term spending and last-minute purchases were made.
As well as the opportunity to grow sales, the event also provides retailers with a timely opportunity to engage existing shoppers and acquire new customers ahead of the all-important Golden Quarter, delivering future engagement opportunities to win share of wallet during Peak Trading, Wunderkind suggests.
Wulfric Light-Wilkinson, International GM of Wunderkind, emphasised the strategic importance of the Back To School period, commented: “In addition to being a profitable sales window on its own, Back To School serves as a critical precursor to the Golden Quarter, positioning brands for a successful peak season. Retailers that perform well during Back To School typically carry that momentum into strong Black Friday and Christmas campaigns, as they benefit from acquiring new customers and capturing valuable first-party data for use in Q4.”
Light-Wilkinson also highlighted the growing challenges in paid third-party channels, noting: “As platforms like social media, search, and display become more competitive and costly, brands must focus on optimising their owned channels. By building first-party data, retailers can drive more cost-efficient conversions and deliver personalised, one-to-one experiences during pivotal trading periods.”
