With the countdown to school back on, Rakuten Marketing has just reported its latest Rakuten Marketing Insights data and ‘back-to-school’ shopping trends for the 2017 retail selling period spanning June 1 through September 30.
“Instrumental to maximizing back-to-school results is delivering advertising that better aligns with consumers’ interests and prioritizing ad spend to reach shoppers most likely to be ‘in-market’ for the products, services, and experiences being advertised,” the report summary reads.
During the core ‘back-to-school’ period, retail sales are estimated to top $867B with a 14.8 percent growth for eCommerce sales, according to eMarketer.
Based on a Google Market Analysis, Rakuten Marketing expects seasonal product searches and sales to start mid-June, and to peak in mid-August.
“We expect this back-to-school spending season will deliver solid results for the retail sector. Marketers can prepare for growth by maximizing their digital marketing programs ahead of key product conversion periods,” said Rakuten Marketing CEO Tony Zito. “Mobile and social will be essential to driving meaningful back-to-school season profits, and advertisers will need to increase their investment in these platforms to optimize their strategies. Across all platforms, advertisers need to invest in the insights and technology needed to deliver ads that are aligned with what consumers are in-the-market to buy. Eighty percent of consumers want advertising that better reflects their interests, and, as advertisers do this more effectively, they will increase their return on ad spend, and create experiences that drive more life time value.”
For additional insight into the report, click here.
