Why Back to School is a strategic lever for e-commerce
Back to School is much more than a seasonal event: it is a nationwide commercial occasion where the online channel plays an increasingly decisive role.
Inflation and the search for value have pushed families to plan expenses earlier, favoring online purchases thanks to competitive prices, wider assortments, and guaranteed availability. Italian families are increasingly bringing forward their purchases, preferring e-commerce for its convenience, broad offering, and the ability to use price comparison tools.
Key data from Back to School 2024
Online search boom:
- Backpacks: +109% in July, +110% in August vs. the previous year
- Textbooks and dictionaries: +416% in July, +463% in August
- Stationery: +73% in July, +95% in August
Falling online prices:
- Backpacks: –6% in July, –7% in August
- Textbooks and dictionaries: –18% in July, –27% in August
- Stationery: –32% in July, –8% in August
These figures confirm a strong shift toward online: while costs rose in traditional retail, e-commerce stood out for its competitive pricing and ability to capture demand through search and comparison.
In 2024, Brandon Group supported a leading brand in the sector, achieving outstanding results despite the absence of dedicated promotions. A strategy based on catalog optimization, advertising planning, and careful logistics management allowed us to maximize sales and enhance brand visibility during the seasonal peak.
Back to School strategy goals
The project had two key objectives:
- Maximize sales during the Back to School 2024 peak period
- Increase brand and product visibility on Amazon, positioning competitively within the stationery category
Actions taken
To achieve these results, the Brandon Group team implemented a structured strategic plan:
Catalog and brand content optimization
We revised product listings, improving titles, bullet points, and descriptions with Amazon SEO best practices, and enhanced A+ content to increase conversion rates.
Advertising campaign planning and optimization
Campaigns were launched and calibrated before the Back to School period began, in order to capture growing demand. We focused on strategic keywords and targeted audience segments, maximizing ad relevance.
Logistics and stock management
Careful inventory planning avoided stockouts during peak demand, ensuring the availability of key products.
Results achieved
The analysis period, from August 26 to September 6, 2024, delivered extraordinary performance:
- +148% sales vs. the previous week
- +122% sales vs. the same period in 2023
- 12% of annual sales generated in just 12 days
On the advertising side:
- 9% of annual budget invested in ads
- ROAS of 8.3x, demonstrating an extremely high return on investment
Key insights
The data analysis highlighted several strategic points:
- The absence of promotions did not limit results: an optimized catalog and targeted ad campaigns proved more than sufficient to boost performance
- Targeted advertising generated an 8x+ return, confirming the effectiveness of early planning
- For Back to School 2025, the goal is to introduce dedicated promotions to further boost conversions
How to prepare for Back to School 2025 – Brandon Group’s tips
Preparing for Back to School means capitalizing on a period of strong demand while competing in a crowded and dynamic market. Here are four strategic levers we recommend for brands to make the most of Back to School 2025:
1. Start early
The peak of online searches and purchases begins as early as July. It is essential to optimize catalogs and ad campaigns in advance, ensuring product pages are complete, persuasive, and indexed with the most relevant keywords. In this phase, historical data analysis and search trend monitoring help capture demand before competitors.
2. Ensure product availability
A stockout during peak days means lost sales and dissatisfied customers. Logistics planning must ensure adequate stock for the entire Back to School period, with reorder points already set. Proactive inventory management is particularly important for high-turnover items such as backpacks, pens, notebooks, and diaries.
3. Combine ads and promotions
Online advertising is a powerful lever, but during a highly competitive period like Back to School, it becomes even more effective when paired with targeted promotions. Time-limited discounts, product bundles, and exclusive online offers can boost conversions and encourage multiple purchases. The goal is to create a funnel that guides the customer from initial search to purchase decision, maximizing ROI.
4. Monitor and optimize in real time
Back to School is short and intense: every day counts. Constantly analyzing ROAS, sales, CPC, and conversion rates allows quick adjustments to campaigns and pricing strategies. Reporting tools and dedicated dashboards help identify opportunities and issues promptly, enabling swift, data-driven decisions.
Back to School 2024 proved that a strategy focused on catalog, advertising, and logistics can deliver extraordinary results even without promotions. For 2025, the goal is to integrate additional promotional levers to maximize the commercial potential of this period.
Brandon Group is ready to support clients with tailored strategies to turn Back to School 2025 into a success in both sales and visibility.
Sources: Osservatori Digitale – Politecnico Milano
Trovaprezzi.it / Federconsumatori via Sole 24 Ore
