Back-to-School 2025: 5 Key Trends CPG Brands Need to Know

With spring in full swing, marketers are already mapping out their back-to-school (BTS) strategies for the upcoming season. Brands have a critical opportunity to meet BTS shoppers where they are—both online and in-store—with strategies that drive awareness, engagement, and conversion. 

At AdAdapted, we understand the importance of planning early and staying ahead of evolving consumer behaviors. That's why we’ve compiled the top trends for 2025 back-to-school shopping to help your brand maximize the season.

Catch the complete insights with visuals in our 2025 Back-to-School Trends deck, and keep reading for a quick overview of what’s shaping this year’s BTS season.

1. Omnichannel Is Non-Negotiable

The days of treating online and in-store as separate channels are long gone, especially for BTS shopping. According to Deloitte's 2024 survey, 70% of parents now plan to shop for back-to-school items both online and in-store, up from 66% in 2023. Meanwhile, the Bazaarvoice Shopper Experience Index reports that 88% of shoppers expect a seamless experience across channels.

Case Study: Nature's Own successfully leveraged this trend by partnering with AdAdapted to implement an omnichannel strategy targeting Walmart shoppers. Using Add-It™ One solutions to promote Honey Wheat bread, they facilitated both add-to-list actions for in-store shoppers and add-to-cart functionality for online purchasers, significantly boosting their presence as a lunchbox staple.

2. Savings Will Drive Purchase Decisions

With looming tariffs and continued concerns about inflation, cost-consciousness will significantly influence BTS shopping behaviors in 2025. Consumer research indicates that 73% of parents are worried about rising prices for everyday BTS purchases (Deloitte Consumer Signals, 2024), while 46% plan to implement more aggressive money-saving strategies than in previous years (Bankrate Survey, 2024).

Case Study: Kellogg's recognized this opportunity and created a "Buy 5, Save $5" digital coupon campaign across their breakfast portfolio. By focusing regionally in the Southeast with Publix and Instacart activations, they made savings accessible through one-click digital coupon clipping—a simple approach that delivered “grrreat” results.

3. Consumer Priority-Based Targeting Is Essential

Today's BTS shoppers aren't just price-conscious—they're values-conscious. Research shows that 40.5% of consumers prefer advertisements aligned with their interests (Demandsage, 2025), and 64% prefer purchasing from companies that personalize experiences to individual needs (Statista Global Survey, 2024).

Case Study: BIC leveraged this insight for their ECOlutions line, targeting back-to-school shoppers who prioritize sustainability. Using AdAdapted's Add-to-List, Add-to-Cart, and Keyword solutions, they focused on behaviors tied to search terms like "eco-friendly" and "reusable." This precision targeting increased engagement and conversions among Target shoppers who prioritize purpose-driven products.

4. Simplicity Wins in a Chaotic Season

The BTS rush creates significant stress for families. In fact, an astonishing 60% of parents report being "reduced to tears" due to back-to-school preparation pressure (Life360 Survey, 2024), while 82% rate convenience as extremely or very important (Numerator). Brands that simplify shopping will win loyalty (and help save families’ sanity) during this hectic time.

Case Study: Kraft Heinz addressed the need for simplification by bundling multiple lunchbox staples and implementing AdAdapted's Add-It™ technology. This allowed parents to add four BTS items to their digital shopping lists or carts in one seamless interaction. The strategy delivered impressive engagement and conversion rates by meeting parents during crucial pre-shop planning moments.

5. Recipe Content Drives Product Discovery

As families establish new routines, meal planning becomes a priority (and an opportunity for brands to inspire with creative recipes). Research shows that children who eat breakfast daily are 20% more likely to graduate high school (No Kid Hungry, 2024), while 80.4% of consumers report that an online recipe has inspired them to purchase a new ingredient or product (Inspira Marketing, 2025).

Case Study: Kodiak capitalized on this trend by providing breakfast inspiration to busy families. By combining appealing recipe content with AdAdapted's Add-It™ technology, they made it easy for shoppers to be inspired and then immediately add products to their list or cart. This approach drove higher intent and engagement during the chaotic back-to-school transition.

Key Takeaways for 2025 BTS Success

1. Make Shopping Simple: Bundle items and streamline the add-to-list/cart process to reduce parents' stress.
2. Target Based on Consumer Values: Highlight nutrition, sustainability, and other priority values in your messaging.
3. Leverage Intent-Based Targeting: Reach shoppers during critical planning moments before they even enter the store.
4. Embrace Recipe Content: Inspire product discovery by showing how your products fit into back-to-school routines.

Ready to optimize your brand’s back-to-school strategy? Schedule a meeting with our team for personalized guidance on how AdAdapted's solutions can help you maximize your BTS success this year!