The 2023 back-to-school shopping season is quickly approaching, and consumers plan to shop a little differently this year. Sixty-five percent of the general population say they’ll participate in back-to-school buying, which includes 77 percent of Gen Z, 76 percent of millennials, and 74 percent of Gen X, respectively. 

Back-to-School Shopping Trends 

This year’s back-to-school shopping won’t just involve traditional school supplies. Forty-two percent of millennials and Gen Xers say they'll be hitting sales to shop for themselves and their children. Eighty-three percent of Gen X, 85 percent of millennials, and 71 percent of Gen Z believe they’ll spend more money or the same amount as they did last year on back-to-school shopping. 

In 2023, consumers plan to start their back-to-school shopping even earlier than last year. In fact, 35 percent of survey participants say they’ll start shopping in early July compared to 31 percent of respondents in 2022. Sixty-two percent say they’ll begin their back-to-school shopping at some point during the month of July versus 58 percent in 2022. However, Gen Z plans to start a bit later: More than half of this demographic will begin shopping for back-to-school items sometime in late July through early August.

The most popular spending categories include traditional school supplies like pens or notebooks, electronics, clothing, shoes, and beauty products. The top factors shoppers will be considering when making back-to-school purchase decisions are price, quality, convenience, and selection. 

How Influencer Partnerships Prepare Your Brand for Back-to-School Sales

Content made by Creators establishes trust between brands and customers because influencers are perceived as more personal than faceless companies or brands. A 2022 LTK survey found that 72 percent of the general population made purchasing decisions solely because of social media recommendations, especially those in the millennial and Gen Z age groups. 

As of 2022, 65 million Gen Zers were living in the U.S., with an estimated $360 billion of disposable income and buying power. LTK’s research found that Gen Zers have been least impacted by inflation, compared to other age groups. In fact, 86 percent of Gen Zers say that their household income has remained the same or increased when compared to the previous year. 

This year, Gen Zers plan to prioritize the following purchases when making back-to-school buying decisions: 

• Clothing for class
• Shoes
• Backpacks, lunchboxes, and water bottles
• Athletic and sportswear
• Outfits for special events 
• Business casual clothes
• Beauty and makeup products
• Fashion accessories
• Spiritwear
• Themed party outfits
• Game-day outfits

Content Creation and Back-to-School Shopping

As the back-to-school shopping season approaches, focus on developing effective influencer partnerships to increase brand awareness and capture the attention of Gen Z. Gen Zers view Creator content as the most trusted form of digital media, and an impressive 92 percent of Gen Z shoppers have made purchases based on recommendations from their favorite influencers. 

1. Focus on Video Content

Because Gen Zers love short-form video content, prioritize social media platforms that focus on videos (i.e., TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube clips, or Instagram Reels) for opportunities to potentially connect with the Gen Z audience. 

2. Follow the Trends

Collaborating with influencers on back-to-school digital marketing campaigns can grab the attention of Gen Z. Want to promote a certain back-to-school product that you think audiences will love? Working with the right Creator gets your message in front of the right people. 

3. Focus on Authenticity

Think carefully about the message you want to send before launching a back-to-school ad campaign aimed at Gen Zers. This age group supports companies that value authenticity, honesty, and transparency. They love real storytelling that focuses on actual people, and they can spot dishonest marketing tactics a mile away. 

Boost Your Back-to-School Marketing Strategy with LTK

To manage campaigns, increase reach, track the success of your influencer marketing campaigns, and connect with top-performing content Creators who have access to Gen Z, you’ll need to partner with a platform that allows you to accomplish all these goals at once. 

LTK boosts your digital presence by connecting your brand with Gen Z Creators. LTK works with more than 6,000 brands across the globe, along with hundreds of thousands of Creators in more than 100 countries. 

Ready to get started? Our team of experts helps you drive engagement and surpass your marketing goals. Contact us, and we’ll be in touch shortly!