The back-to-school market in the UK was worth a staggering £1.16 billion in 2018, according to the latest research from Mintel. The research further indicates a 36% increase in comparison to 2017 figures, totalling £855 million. With that in mind, back-to-school is officially the third biggest retail spending event of the year, following Christmas and Black Friday.
Top 3 items and key purchasing behaviours
In 2018, parents spent £510 million on school uniforms and shoes, followed by £130 million on computing equipment and £100 million on stationery.
Convenience is a top priority for back-to-school shoppers with 45% of purchases made at supermarkets, offering a wide range of items under one roof. A sizable 42% also shopped online.
The Cybertill Parent Report found that electrical and fashion purchases are often subject to in-store browsing followed by online buying.
How can online retailers ace this year’s back-to-school?
With no long queues and 24/7 opening times, online retailers easily ‘bag the convenience award’.
But, merchants shouldn’t rest on their laurels and work tirelessly to ensure their checkout experience is fully optimised for the needs of their busy shoppers. Your payment page is the most important page on your site. It is where your customers hand over their sensitive card data and part with their hard-earned money. Make it work for you and not against you.
Utilise tokenisation to allow customers a swift and easy experience and review all your data input fields to reduce cart abandonment. And while we are on the topic of shopping cart abandonment rates, take it one step further and offer free shipping for back-to-school purchases. In this global research from Big Commerce, an alarming 77% of respondents have abandoned a purchase due to unsatisfactory shipping options.
Besides, consider offering the option to checkout as a guest instead of creating an account. This could increase the possibility of conversion. Last but not least, be sure to showcase your security credentials with SSL and PCI badges. It could help you build trust with potential customers and reassure them their data is safe with you.
Over to you
We’d like to hear from you.
Looking for a payment partner that can help you tap into the back to school trends? emerchantpay is a trusted payments service provider that offers fast, easy and secure ways to accept payments on your website. We can help you increase your conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment. Reach out to us to know more.