Retailers Prepare for Back-to-School Season

Here’s an assignment for grocers across the country as the 2023 back-to-school season gets underway: Find new ways to help your shoppers save time and money while promoting health, wellness and happiness. This mission certainly sounds like a heavy lift, but harried parents and stressed-out students need more help than ever as they face busy, on-the-go schedules.

Of course, back-to-school shopping can mean many things for supermarkets, ranging from basic school supplies like pencils and paper to food and beverage items that can be incorporated into bagged lunches, along with breakfast, snacks and dinner. Nonfood products like lunch bags, water bottles and reusable snack bags also make smart additions to the merchandising mix. But ultimately, the more that grocers can offer solutions to make shoppers’ lives easier, the stronger their brand loyalty will become.

[Read more: "Retailers Offering Back-to-School Discounts for Educators, Students"]

Katie Macarelli, manager of public relations at Lakewood, Colo.-based Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, notes that at Natural Grocers stores, “we expand our purchasing and promotional efforts to include how we can truly support our community.” As she puts it, “Back-to-school prep doesn’t have to stop with supplies like scissors and glue sticks.”

Over the years, Natural Grocers has increased its back-to-school promotions, even addressing the topic of boosting immunity in the September 2022 issue of its magazine and online, according to Macarelli. She says that the chain’s efforts have resulted in “positive engagement” from its customers, both in stores and online.

Midwestern supercenter chain Meijer perennially touts convenience and savings in its back-to-school promotions. More recently, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer has encouraged customers to take advantage of its home delivery, pickup, shop-and-scan, and in-store shopping options, according to Karen Langeland, VP of merchandising.

Meanwhile, for the third consecutive year, Meijer has rolled out back-to-school savings of 15% on school and home office equipment for teachers, and this year the chain has expanded the teachers’ discount to include additional categories such as kids’ apparel and accessories through Sept. 4.

Let’s Make A Deal

While community outreach is important, it’s absolutely essential for supermarkets to offer competitive pricing where they can this year, whether through special sales or through promotions tied to their own private brands. Even though price inflation has been easing in recent months, many shoppers are still very concerned about spending(See sidebar at bottom for more information on back-to-school consumer insights).

Large national chains like Kroger and mass merchandisers such as Walmart and Target are in a league of their own when it comes to competitive pricing. In July, Cincinnati-based Kroger was promoting more than 250 school supplies priced at $3 and under, along with a 30%-off offer on back-to-school gear on its website. Shoppers could also mix and match five or more participating snack/lunch items to save $1 each with a Kroger Plus card, according to a company representative.

Minneapolis-based Target, meanwhile, was selling glue sticks for just 25 cents apiece, and Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart promised school supplies and backpacks at “last year’s prices” while touting Pen + Gear and its other store brands. 

[Read more: "What's Cool in Back-to-School Products"]

Walmart, Target and Seattle-based Amazon also got an early jump on back-to-school sales by highlighting these products during their midsummer sales periods (Walmart Week, Target Circle Week and Amazon Prime Days, all which occurred in July).

In addition to offering such enticing sales, the large chains have recognized the value of offering community support, especially for teachers who often lack needed school supplies. This year, Walmart launched a Classroom Registry that allows teachers to post their supply wish lists via an online registry. The retailer is also continuing its service of offering online school supply lists curated by school districts and/or individual teachers. Further, in a truly unique service, Walmart has begun offering special sensory-friendly shopping hours during the 2023 back-to-school season.

Target, for its part, is offering Target Circle members a 20%-off College Student Appreciation deal from July 16 through Aug. 26, and has expanded its Target Circle Teacher Appreciation Event (also running July 16 through Aug. 26) to give teachers a one-time 20% discount on an entire shopping trip, either in stores or online.

Whether supermarkets offer competitive pricing, convenience or community outreach — or preferably, all three — they’ll earn high marks this year by more closely considering all of their shoppers’ needs.