Back‑to‑school is the second‑largest retail season after the winter holidays, with U.S. families projected to spend nearly $39 billion on K‑12 supplies and $87 billion on college‑related items in 2024. Leveraging modern POS tools—for inventory management, dynamic pricing, real‑time analytics, and customer engagement—lets brick‑and‑mortar retailers turn this surge into profit while avoiding stockouts, overstocks, and long checkout lines.
Why Back‑to‑School Matters
Back‑to‑school spending in 2024 is expected to reach $38.8 billion for K‑12—second only to last year’s record—and $86.6 billion for college, making it a must‑win season for retailers. Families plan to spend an average of $875 per K‑12 child and $1,365 per college student. Even Deloitte finds lower‑income households trimming budgets to $586 per child, underscoring value‑seeking behavior.
1. Master Inventory Management
SKU‑Level Visibility
‑ Conduct SKU‑level analysis to know which items carry the highest margin and risk; this lets you prioritize restocking high‑impact products first.
Automated Reordering
‑ Set reorder points in your POS so that when stock falls below threshold, new purchase orders generate automatically. This prevents costly stockouts during peak demand.
2. Optimize Pricing & Promotions
Dynamic Pricing
‑ Use POS analytics to adjust prices in real time based on sales velocity, competitor pricing, and remaining days before school starts.
Bundle Deals
‑ Create “school packs” (e.g., backpack + notebooks + pens) and let the POS apply bundle discounts automatically at checkout, boosting average transaction value.
Early‑Bird Discounts
‑ Launch targeted, time‑limited promos for loyalty members who shop early. NRF data shows 55% of shoppers start buying by early July—capture them before competitors do.
3. Streamline Checkout Experience
Mobile & Self‑Checkout
‑ Deploy POS‑enabled tablets or kiosks to reduce lines. A Wharton study notes self‑checkout tech alleviates staffing pressure and speeds throughput.
Multiple Payment Options
‑ Offer contactless, buy‑now‑pay‑later, and mobile wallet options. Parents increasingly favor “buy now, pay later” for big BTS purchases.
Express Lanes for Essentials
‑ Configure POS to recognize back‑to‑school SKUs and direct them to express lanes—ideal for parents grabbing last‑minute supplies.
4. Leverage Real‑Time Analytics
Sales Dashboards
‑ Monitor live sales data to spot surging SKUs and markdown slow‑moving items before they tie up capital.
Forecasting
‑ Use historical POS data plus external indicators (weather, local school calendars) to forecast demand. HBR highlights that modern forecasting tools help SMEs navigate uncertainty without overinvesting.
Labor Scheduling
‑ Align staffing with forecasted foot traffic. Placer.ai footfall analysis suggests even modest traffic bumps (+2–5%) during BTS can strain under‑staffed stores.
5. Boost Customer Engagement
Loyalty Programs
‑ Integrate loyalty into your POS so points automatically accrue, and trigger personalized offers (e.g., “10% off notebooks after 3 purchases”).
Targeted Email & SMS
‑ Pull customer segments from POS (e.g., families who bought last year) for tailored back‑to‑school campaigns.
In‑Store Events
‑ Use POS to track RSVPs for school‑supply fairs or tech demos—driving traffic and building community.
Conclusion
Back‑to‑school success hinges on proactive planning and intelligent use of POS tools. By mastering inventory control, dynamic pricing, streamlined checkouts, real‑time analytics, and targeted engagement, you’ll turn the seasonal surge into sustained growth—and delight busy parents and students in the process.
Ready to empower your store? Start by auditing your POS settings today—and turn back‑to‑school into your biggest season yet!
Citations
- National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, “Majority of Back-to-Class Shoppers Have Already Begun Purchasing School Items,” NRF, July 2024. (National Retail Federation | NRF)
- National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, “Total back‑to‑college spending is expected to reach $86.6 billion,” NRF, July 2024. (National Retail Federation | NRF)
- Reuters, “US back‑to‑school spending to remain muted in 2024, Deloitte says,” Reuters, July 15, 2024. (Reuters)
- Deloitte Insights, “2024 back‑to‑school survey,” Deloitte, 2024. (Deloitte United States)
- IHL Group via Retail Dive, “Out‑of‑stocks could be costing retailers $1T,” Retail Dive, November 2018. (Retail News and Trends | Retail Dive)
- NetSuite, “The Importance of Inventory Visibility,” NetSuite, June 2021. (NetSuite)
- The Point of Sale Report, “What Is Automated Inventory Reordering,” POS Report Glossary, 2025. (POS Report)
- Knowledge at Wharton, “Is Self‑checkout a Failed Experiment?,” Wharton, January 30, 2024. (Knowledge at Wharton)
- Harvard Business Review, “Six Rules for Effective Forecasting,” HBR, July/August 2007. (Harvard Business Review)
- Investopedia, “SKU: What It Is and How It Works,” Investopedia, 2007. (Investopedia)
- Chain Store Age, “NRF: Back‑to‑school spending to be second‑highest on record,” Chain Store Age, August 2024. (NKyTribune)
- Capital One Shopping, “Back‑to‑School Shopping Statistics (2024),” Capital One Shopping, 2024. (Capital One Shopping)
Lightspeed, “Inventory Visibility: Why It Matters & How to Improve It,” Lightspeed, March 2024. (lightspeedhq.com)
