Retailers Urged to Publicize Store Safety Protocols in Back-to-School Messaging

Trends forged during the atypical 2020 season for back-to-school (BTS) shopping could have staying power, said Forrester analyst Brendan Witcher on a Monday RetailMeNot webinar. It might seem “a smart thing” to get as many customers into the store as possible, he said, “but that’s actually the wrong move.” Consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic “don’t want to walk into a crowded store,” said the analyst. Employees don’t want to work in a crowded store, either, he noted. Witcher encouraged retailers to publicize their stores’ safety protocols in their marketing messaging. Shoppers are preparing for the BTS season amid overall uncertainty about the virus and school policies, many faced with physical challenges of where to shop and whether they should pick up items in store or have them shipped. Witcher has been recommending that his retail clients put together BTS bundles that make sense for home schooling, “so that no matter where this pandemic takes us, you’re prepared to offer the right kinds of products to your consumers.” A May RetailMeNot survey said BTS spending would be up this year to $532 from an average $507 in 2019. Witcher said families trying to share computers are learning “what it costs to support a child in school who might have to do home or distance learning.” Flash drives, mice and tablets could push tech spending higher, he said. Having multiple alternative shopping options will be especially important this year, said the analyst, noting curbside pickup was the top investment retailers made during the COVID-19 lockdown period. He cited one large retailer that said its pre-pandemic buy online, pickup in store business was 60% of orders. Last week, the retailer reported its BOPIS business is four times that of ship-to-home. Part of that, Witcher said, could be “fear of returning” to a store if a product isn’t what the customer is seeking. Those trends are expected to continue into the holiday season.