Consumers Go Digital With Back To School

It's back to school shopping time, and supermarkets need to keep up!

Back to school shopping is in full swing and no surprise that smartphone activity will be a big part of the mix. According to new research from Deloitte, almost all (88%) of consumers in the study own a smartphone and 73% own a tablet, and for shopping this year, 80% of consumers plan to use their smartphones during the process.

The annual study questioned 1,000 parents of school-aged children with at least one child attending K-12 this fall and learnt that smartphones will come into play in a variety of ways. 57% will use their phones to get/download discounts, coupons, sale information, 57% will also use their phones to get price information, 53% to get a store location, but only 36% will use their smart device to actually shop online

With beacons in use in many stores now, about half (49%) know what an in-store beacon is and only 9% of smartphone owners plan to engage with in-store beacon technology while shopping.

So as consumers start getting into the mix of back to school, supermarkets need to keep up and keep consumers engaged.  While shoppers may still be heading into the stores to make purchases, it's important for grocery stores to be available to shoppers on all platforms as they search for deals, prices and products. Now is also the time to appeal to busy families with healthy school lunch ideas, easy to pack snack ideas and fun and nutritious lunchbox options. Focus on displays and demos that will appeal to the whole family, offer pre-packaged healthy lunch box options. And as summer vacation winds to an end remember that now is the time families will be looking for simple to prep yet healthy dinner options as the routine of the school year gets back into full swing.