BTS Shopping: Retailers Need to Do a Little Homework
You’ve seen them at your local supermarket, mass discounter, and office supply store. Parents with the look of dread on their faces. Kids with the look of dread on their faces. It’s back-to-school shopping season. ‘Tis the season to stock up on school supplies and try to put a positive spin on the end of summer / beginning of fall.
School is most likely in session at this point nationwide (with the exception of a few colleges like the University of Chicago and Dartmouth which have later “starts”). Retailers are starting to celebrate their victories or lick their wounds. Here’s a thought for the Targets, Office Depots, etc.: can you borrow a lesson from Whole Foods and take what is typically a painful and “wait ’til the last minute” shopping experience (for both Parents and Kids - albeit for different reasons) and turn it into something more fun, more pleasurable, and more positive for all involved?
For example, retailers can have local school supply checklists on hand so parents can compare what their kids “want” vs. what the school recommends they “need.” Retailers can create a special BTS debit card which trusting parents can give their kids to have the freedom to purchase what they need - as long as the purchases fall within the school- and parent-approved guidelines. Retailers can also bring in organization and time management experts for evening events - targeting both parents and children with brief (and I mean brief!) tips and tricks for getting the most out of their time hitting the books, participating in extracurriculars, and researching their homework (as well as connecting with their friends) online. And, families can plan on re-connecting at these events with fellow parents and students before school officially starts.
The goal is to make the BTS shopping experience something parents and kids can eagerly anticipate - and to watch them spend more time in-store and ring up more sales at the register.
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