Back-to-School Success Starts with Showing Up Where Decisions Happen

Back-to-school shopping doesn’t begin in the store. It begins at home.

Before parents fill a cart, compare prices, or click “buy now,” they’re making lists at the kitchen table, checking what supplies they already have, and figuring out how far their budgets need to stretch.

For brands, that’s an important reality.

Back-to-School (BTS) remains one of retail’s biggest and most competitive seasons. With 37% of households actively shopping for BTS this year, brands are competing for attention during a concentrated window when purchase decisions are being made every day. That audience includes households shopping for K-12 students, college students, and often both at the same time.

The challenge isn’t simply reaching shoppers—it’s reaching them consistently throughout their decision-making journey.

And increasingly, that journey starts at home.

Today’s Back-to-School Journey Happens Everywhere

The days of a straightforward “see ad, go to store, make purchase” path are long gone.

Parents move through multiple environments and devices throughout the day as they prepare for the school year ahead. They build shopping lists at home, research products online, compare promotions across retailers, place orders during breaks in the workday, and pick up purchases while managing countless other responsibilities.

Because BTS decisions happen across so many touchpoints, brands need more than a single moment of exposure. They need a presence throughout the entire journey.

That journey begins where most family planning happens: at home.

Reach the Parents Most Likely to Buy

Captivate gives advertisers access to an audience that is highly engaged in the BTS season and already demonstrating strong purchase intent.

Compared to the general population, Captivate indexes significantly higher among:

• Parents with children under 18 (166 index)
• Consumers who personally purchase BTS items (142 index)

For brands across CPG, retail, technology, apparel, and household categories, that represents a broad opportunity to engage consumers while purchase decisions are actively being made. Learn more about Captivate’s consumer advertising solutions.

BTS Shoppers Plan to Buy

Why Residential Reach Matters

The Home Is Ground Zero for BTS Planning

Long before a parent walks into a store or opens a retailer’s app, the BTS list is already taking shape.

Families discuss what’s needed, compare prices, review last year’s supplies, and start prioritizing purchases. These planning moments don’t happen at the point of sale—they happen at home.

That’s what makes residential media so powerful.

Captivate’s residential network places brands directly within the environments where parents live and make everyday decisions. Rather than competing for attention during crowded digital experiences, advertisers can engage audiences in trusted, high-frequency settings that are part of their daily routines.

By reaching consumers where planning begins, brands position themselves earlier in the purchase process—before final decisions are made.

The Package Pickup Moment: An Overlooked Opportunity

As online shopping continues to play a larger role in BTS purchasing, another valuable moment has emerged: package pickup.

Parents are increasingly researching products online, purchasing from multiple retailers, and receiving orders throughout the season. That means many residents interact with package lockers several times each week.

Through Captivate’s integration with LuxerOne package lockers, advertisers can connect with consumers during a uniquely high-attention moment. Unlike mobile ads that can be scrolled past in seconds, package locker interactions require people to stop, wait, and engage with the screen directly in front of them.

It’s a rare one-to-one moment in today’s fragmented media landscape.

The timing is especially valuable because consumers are already demonstrating strong action-oriented behaviors. In fact, 50% of consumers say they are likely to purchase a product online after seeing an advertisement that interests them.  

Package pickup represents the physical conclusion of that digital purchase journey—making it an ideal opportunity to reinforce messaging, highlight promotions, or influence the next purchase decision.

A Residential-First Approach Supports the Entire Shopper Journey

Brands don’t need to rely on a single touchpoint to drive results.

Residential environments allow advertisers to reach parents:

• While they’re planning purchases
• While they’re comparing products and promotions
• During high-attention package pickup moments
• Consistently throughout the week in places they regularly visit

The result is sustained visibility during the moments that have the greatest influence on purchase decisions.

Extending Reach Into the Workday

While home remains the most important environment in the BTS journey, it isn’t the only one.

Many shoppers continue their research and purchasing activity throughout the workday. According to consumer data, 30% of shoppers use a work desktop or laptop to shop online, alongside mobile devices and personal computers.  

This makes office environments a valuable secondary touchpoint.

Captivate’s office network allows brands to reconnect with consumers during breaks, lunchtime, or between meetings – often when shoppers are revisiting research or completing purchases they started earlier at home.

Rather than replacing residential media, workplace reach extends its impact and reinforces messaging throughout the day.

Driving Action Through Multiple Touchpoints

BTS purchases rarely happen all at once.

Most consumers move through several stages before buying:

1. Building shopping lists
2. Researching products
3. Comparing options
4. Completing purchases later

Consumer Behavior Data Reflects This Progression:

This is precisely why consistent visibility matters.

The most effective campaigns don’t rely on a single impression. They stay present throughout the consideration process, reinforcing awareness and helping move consumers from interest to action.

Proven Results for CPG Brands

Audience quality is important, but performance is what ultimately matters.

Across CPG campaigns, Captivate consistently delivers strong outcomes:

These performance metrics align with broader BTS shopping behaviors. Most BTS shoppers still plan to spend between $100 and $499 during the season, and while digital shopping continues to grow, more than 70% of purchases still occur in-store.

Brands need media environments that can influence both online and offline action—and Captivate is designed to do exactly that.

Why Visibility Matters More Than Ever

This year’s BTS shopper is highly value-conscious.

If a preferred brand becomes too expensive, 68% of BTS shoppers say they’re willing to switch to another option. Many are actively waiting for promotions, reusing items from previous years, or choosing lower-priced alternatives to manage their budgets.

Image: Horizontal bar chart // showing the budget-conscious behaviors (56% waiting for sales, 46% reusing items, 44% choosing store brands, 36% buying fewer items) — useful for grounding the “value-consciousness is real” point in a quick visual rather than a dense stat list.

For advertisers, that creates both a challenge and an opportunity.

Brands that disappear risk losing share to competitors offering stronger value propositions. Brands that remain visible throughout the shopping journey are better positioned to stay top of mind when purchase decisions are made.

Why Captivate Belongs in Every BTS Media Strategy

Captivate helps brands reach back-to-school shoppers across the moments that matter most by delivering:

• Access to high-value parent audiences in residential environments
• A unique, high-attention package pickup experience through LuxerOne lockers
• Extended reach into premium workplace environments
• Consistent visibility during planning, consideration, and purchasing moments
• Proven campaign performance across CPG categories  

Together, these touchpoints create a connected strategy that follows consumers throughout their day – from home, to package pickup, to the workplace.

Want a deeper look at audience profiles, network environments, and campaign opportunities? Download the Captivate Advertising Media Kit for additional resources.

Turn BTS Visibility Into Results

Back-to-school shopping may happen across multiple channels and environments, but it starts at home.

Brands that show up consistently during planning moments, package pickup interactions, and workday research sessions gain a meaningful advantage during one of the year’s most important shopping seasons.

With access to proven BTS buyers, high-attention residential environments, unique Luxer One package locker experiences, workplace extensions, and strong campaign performance benchmarks, Captivate helps brands move consumers from awareness to action when it matters most.

Ready to connect with back-to-school shoppers where they live, where they collect their purchases, and where they work? Make Captivate a key part of your BTS strategy.