Winning Back-to-School Moments with High-Intent Shoppers
By Katherine Meyer, Product Marketing Manager at Chicory
Back-to-school is more than pencils and backpacks—it’s a mindset shift toward structure, routine, and planning. Parents and families make a transition toward more purposeful decision-making, and the decisions they make at this point set them up for how the rest of the year will go.
This takes planning and thoughtful execution on the shopper’s part. We are seeing parents prepare for these shopping occasions earlier than ever; back-to-school preparations spike for parents starting in early August.
More often, consumers are starting with digital-first grocery planning, with mobile, recipes, and convenience driving decisions. That’s why it’s critical for brands and retailers to look to activate in these high-intent moments, and leverage contextual commerce to capture mindset shifts.
To help, we surveyed over 500 American consumers to see how parents and non-parents are approaching grocery shopping and meal planning once the summer winds down.
The Seasonal Shift: From Summer Chaos to Structure
Did you know 48.8% of shoppers plan to cook and bake more post-summer? And that number jumps to 65% for parents.
Post-summer features one of the largest shifts in shopping behavior throughout the year as consumers go from fun, outdoor grilling activities to busy, weeknight meal planning structure. Parents especially lean into this change in priorities with new routines and list-building behaviors; it is more than just a new school year.
As consumer mindsets shift, they look for inspiration on how to accomplish their shopping goals to feed themselves and their families. 58% of shoppers begin planning mid-to-late summer. This is a prime time for campaign activation to ensure you are reaching shoppers in the planning and execution stage.
Context Is King
As consumers change their priorities and eating habits, it is of paramount importance for brands to meet them where they are, in an inspired and high-intent mindset.
Recipe and meal planning sites offer an ideal place to reach these consumers as they are seeking ideas. 71% of consumers turn to digital recipes for inspiration during back-to-school season; that jumps to 88% for parents.
Recipes and food planning sites are more than just meal ideas—they also operate as digital storefronts. Brands should leverage contextual commerce solutions to position their products in these contexts right where purchase intent peaks.
Brand marketers should also lean into their kid-friendly and protein-rich snacks during this period, as these top the list for parents.
The Multi-Channel Mission: Meet Them Where They Are
As parents are looking to plan out their shopping trips, it is important to capitalize on every pivotal moment. Advertisers cannot rely on just reaching shoppers in the store or just reaching them while they are browsing online.
Shoppers toggle between in-store (45%) and hybrid shopping (43%), meaning advertisers need to reach across channels.
With 75% of consumers using mobile recipes while shopping, there’s a massive opportunity to influence purchase decisions in real time. Use full-funnel activation to connect with consumers in the pre-shop, mid-shop, and post-shop moments.
Conclusion
Back-to-School is more than just a timestamp on the calendar—it’s a major opportunity for brands to capture attention and drive meaningful engagement.
As the digital shelf becomes increasingly competitive, success hinges on more than visibility alone. Brand marketers must move beyond chasing impressions and focus on creating real influence during these pivotal moments.
Ultimately, the brands that show up with purpose will win where it matters most.
Want to learn more about how contextual commerce can amplify your Back-to-School strategy? Say hello@chicory.co to discover how leading CPG brands and retailers are partnering with Chicory for this season.