The June 2025 Resonate Consumer Trends Report showed that nearly 67% of consumers won’t be doing any back-to-school shopping this year. This data is in keeping with the expectation among retailers that revenue would dip slightly this year in response to the tariffs and other sources of economic volatility currently roiling the lives of Americans. Although the industry-wide picture might be less than rosy right now, it’s still possible to build scalable marketing that focuses on back-to-school shoppers. You just need the right data.
Resonate has both the high-performance, continuously updated data you need to target your audience effectively, as well as AI-powered solutions that will enhance your marketing campaigns from start to finish. In this blog, you’ll learn crucial insights about back-to-school shoppers to ensure you corner more of the market, and you’ll also explore a few best-in-class solutions you can use to improve ROI and customer lifetime value throughout the full marketing lifecycle.
Who Are the Back-to-School Shoppers?
The Back-to-School Shoppers are mostly female (60%), and they’re mostly between the ages of 25 and 44 (50%). The vast majority—82%—have a household income that is under $150K, so it’s not surprising to learn that their top criterion when it comes to selecting a retailer is price: 75% prefer to shop with the companies that offer the best prices and/or sales.
You can ensure your marketing resonates with this audience by focusing on attributes like their primary influence on purchases.
These consumers are more likely to purchase products that are family-friendly, fun and exciting, and luxurious. They’re less likely to go for items that are innovative, energy-efficient, or practical or basic.
With the Back-to-School Shoppers, there’s good news for brands: These consumers like loyalty programs. According to the Resonate AI-powered data engine, rAI, 15% prefer to shop with a retailer that offers one. They also like retailers with fast, responsive staff. Even though 55% shop online, the way a store looks is crucial: 22% prefer enjoyable, clean stores when they come to a brick-and-mortar location.
Where Can You Find These Consumers?
These shoppers spend a significant amount of time online:
-26% are online 10-20 hours per week
-27% are online 20-40 hours per week
-22% are online 40+ hours per week
However, they’re not on social media; in fact, 64% spend 10 hours a week or less on social sites. Instead, they’re watching streaming television, with 20% engaging in this form of media 21+ hours a week, and they’re also watching Internet videos, with 10% engaging with this form of media 21 or more hours each week.
Their top TV networks include:
-Disney Junior
-Nick Jr.
-Nickelodeon
-Freeform
-Disney Channel
From Insights to Impact: Marketing to the Back-to-School Shoppers
Now, let’s take a look at how you can use Resonate’s high-performance data and the Resonate Ignite Platform to acquire, grow, and retain Back-to-School Shoppers throughout the full customer lifecycle.
Resonate’s high-performance consumer data and insights align with your business goals across the acquisition, retention, and growth phases and empower you to deliver a measurable impact on KPIs like ROAS, revenue, churn, and CLV. To see the Resonate difference for yourself, reach out to one of our data experts today.
