No CommentsIt is that time of year again! As the summer winds down, back-to-school shopping is already on many consumers’ minds. But what does this mean for sellers?
Using the data found in the article, Amazon sellers can figure out when consumers are shopping for back-to-school items, what the demand is like, and some examples of what consumers are purchasing.
Here’s a brief look at some key takeaways:
- 77% of consumers already started back-to-school shopping; just 22% expected to begin in August.
- Nearly 60% expect to spend more this year compared to last year
- Keyword search volume for back-to-school is up this year ( 147% !) after a decline in the 2022 season.
In this article, we’ll layer Jungle Scout data over the latest back-to-school shopping trends to answer that question. Knowing when consumers are shopping for back-to-school items, how much they’re expected to spend, what demand is like and examples of popular products can help sellers make the most of this shopping season.
Consumers expect to spend more this year on back-to-school shopping
59% of consumers plan to spend more on school supplies this year compared to 2022, according to Jungle Scout’s Consumer Trends Report. In the most recent iteration of this quarterly report, 35% of respondents said they have children attending school in the fall.
From National Retail Federation – Back-to-Class Shopping Expected to Reach Record Levels (7/13/23)
National Retail Federation corroborates this, expecting families with children in elementary through high school to spend a record $864.35 on back-to-school items this year, about $25 more than last year.
When do they plan to start shopping for back-to-school products?
- 25% started before the summer
- 21% started in June
- 31% started in July
- 22% plan to start in August
Basically, this tells us that the majority of consumers interested in these types of products are already actively buying.
We also asked, “How do you expect your total back-to-school spending to compare to last year?”
- 59% expect to spend more in 2023 compared to 2022
- 26% expect to spend less
- 15% expect to spend about the same amount
The majority of consumers plan to spend more this year on school supplies than the previous year, which is good news for businesses offering these types of products.
Amazon keyword search trends for school supplies are trending up in 2023
In our 2022 version of this back-to-school trends analysis, we stated that online spending for school supplies was trending down (with a few exceptions). Search volume for back-to-school related keywords was down in 2022 compared to 2021.
But in 2023, we are seeing the opposite trend. Keyword search volume for these terms has begun to skyrocket as parents prepare to get their kids back to school.
Let’s look at Keyword Scout data to see what the monthly search volume and trends are for school-related keywords. Keyword Scout is a keyword research tool by Jungle Scout, an all-in-one tool for Amazon sellers.
Using Jungle Scout’s Keyword Scout tool again, let’s take a look at some individual keywords and see what the search volume trends are like this year compared to last year.
The keyword “back to school supplies” saw 58,907 searches between July 10-16, 2022, and 146,027 searches between July 9-15, 2023, a 147% increase in search volume year over year.
In 2022, searches for this particular keyword spiked at the beginning of August but still saw significant search volume throughout the month. As September began, search volume for this term plummeted.
Even back-to-school clothing-related keywords are moving in the same direction compared to 2022. Let’s look at “back to school outfits for girls.”
What back-to-school products are consumers purchasing the most based on keyword search?
As we saw above, most of the back-to-school-related keywords are trending upwards and are seeing higher search volume in 2023 compared to 2022. Now, what products are consumers buying?
Using Jungle Scout’s Opportunity Finder tool, we are able to see the top products for a specific niche.
Ready to sell school supplies on Amazon? Click the link below to leverage Jungle Scout’s essential data and Amazon selling tools.
Let’s review some of the “back-to-school” niches to see what customers are purchasing the most on Amazon.
With Opportunity Finder, you can also view the average monthly unit sales, average price, search volume, and seasonality.
By seeing the top products for a specific niche or search term, sellers can get an idea of what customers are purchasing after making that search.
Think of the teachers, too!
How Amazon sellers can use this data to their advantage
While we are in the midst of the back-to-school shopping season, there is still time for Amazon sellers to take advantage of this huge spike in search volume and demand for everything school supplies.
You wouldn’t have time to launch a private label product at this point, but there is plenty of time and opportunity to find products worthy of retail arbitrage or wholesale.
If you are an Amazon reseller, visit some local retailers and start scanning back-to-school products to see what you can purchase and resell for a profit on Amazon.
Jungle Scout is also a great tool for resellers. By using tools like the Extension and Product Database, you can find in-demand and profitable resale opportunities.
Do you sell back-to-school supplies?
Back-to-school season is a great opportunity for Amazon sellers to offer popular products parents and students purchase for the upcoming school year.
2023 is seeing an increase in search volume and demand for these types of products, so jump on it as soon as possible!
