What’s trending for back-to-school? Bestselling products

As we reach the middle of summer, school children and university students around the globe will soon be gearing up for another academic year. But, back to school isn't just for students, parents, and educators – it's also an incredibly lucrative time for ecommerce businesses.

As the demand for back-to-school essentials soars, and savvy sellers know this is the perfect opportunity to offer uniquely customized products. With our print-on-demand service, you can create and sell products that cater directly to the back-to-school crowd, where personalization is a top priority.

• With the global back-to-school market valued at over $171 billion, it’s a critical sales period for e-commerce retailers.

• Back-to-school spending per household is increasing year by year, with families in the US typically spending on average $890 at the start of the new school year.

• Your store can start capitalizing on the back-to-school season by offering unique, personalized products.

• Some of our best-selling back-to-school items include customizable apparel, water bottles and travel mugs, phone cases and tote bags

• Use email campaigns, social media, and blog posts to promote your product range.

• Utilize Gelato's print-on-demand services to offer a wide variety of products without the need for bulky inventory!

Shopping for back-to-school essentials can be stressful for both parents and students. You need to have all the necessary supplies, but you also want something that expresses your individual style. As a result, many students are looking for products that can be customized and personalized in some way. As they grow into their own style, they want products that reflect who they are. With Gelato as your partner, you can offer them exactly that. Here are some of the hottest back-to-school products.

Start the school year off with a bang by offering your customers customizable apparel. Personalized clothing not only allows students to express their individual style, but also makes a bold statement on the first day back.

As an ecommerce seller, you can create a special back-to-school collection featuring your most popular designs, trending styles, or whatever else you think your target group will appreciate. Looking at Google data, searches for “hoodie” start to climb around late July, reaching a peak in mid November. Retailers can make the most of this trend by promoting their hoodie products during the back-to-school period and making the most of this increased search traffic!

Our hoodies are a great option for those cold mornings, but if you’re targeting an audience in warmer climates, then and tank tops are perfect for the more casual days. For the sporty student, our sports apparel is perfect for the gym or simply showing off your athletic side.

Once August hits, it's time to start promoting your back-to-school collection. Email campaigns are often the best go-to marketing tool for this season. Why not create an email campaign that highlights your back-to-school collection and offers a special discount or free shipping?  You can also use social media to reach out to your target audience and let them know about the new collection. Maybe even offer bundle deals or discounts for early bird shoppers – there are so many ways to get creative!

Hydration is an important part of staying healthy and alert during the school year. Offering your customers high-quality water bottles or travel mugs is a great way to help them stay hydrated on the go. Your customers will love the chance to make a statement with these personalized hydration products. 

Our stainless steel water bottle is the perfect accessory for school life - for kids in elementary school up to university! It’s the perfect accessory for school or a trip to the gym.

Our insulated travel mug is a great size to fit in most cupholders or backpacks. It's also leak-proof, so your customers never have to worry about spills. Plus, it's great for both hot and cold beverages!

You could try promoting your hydration essentials with a blog post on the importance of staying hydrated during the school year. Include photos and videos of your products to help bring your words to life! Ads on social media are also a great way to reach your target audience for back-to-school season or consider sponsored posts to reach a wider range of potential customers.

Hydration is an important part of staying healthy and alert during the school year. Offering your customers high-quality water bottles or travel mugs is a great way to help them stay hydrated on the go. Your customers will love the chance to make a statement with these personalized hydration products.

Our stainless steel water bottle is the perfect accessory for school life - for kids in elementary school up to university! It’s the perfect accessory for school or a trip to the gym.

Our insulated travel mug is a great size to fit in most cupholders or backpacks. It's also leak-proof, so your customers never have to worry about spills. Plus, it's great for both hot and cold beverages!

You could try promoting your hydration essentials with a blog post on the importance of staying hydrated during the school year. Include photos and videos of your products to help bring your words to life! Ads on social media are also a great way to reach your target audience for back-to-school season or consider sponsored posts to reach a wider range of potential customers.

The humble tote bag is one of those few items that everyone needs on their back-to-school essential list. Perfect for carrying books, lunch and extra supplies all day, you can throw it in your school bag and go. Need to carry some extra books that won't fit in your bag? You've got your tote! Want to keep your lunch separate from the rest of your items? Your tote’s got your back again like an everyday superhero.

Tote bags are perfect for teens who want to make a statement with their back-to-school supplies. With a custom-printed tote, they can express their style while also staying organized and ready for the day. You really can enhance your back-to-school collection with tote bags – they're perfect for any occasion. 

From prints and patterns to photos and artwork, there are tons of options for people to choose from. There are many ways to promote your tote backs this back-to-school season as well. You could create a list of creative tote bag ideas, highlight customer photos with their totes, or offer a discount or giveaway for customers who purchase more than one.

The start of a new academic year often signifies a fresh start, and what better way to usher in this new beginning than by giving your living space a makeover? This rings especially true for college students heading off to dorm rooms or shared apartments. A room isn't just a room; it's a personal sanctuary, a place for relaxation, study, and sometimes even socializing. Wall art is an essential element to transform these blank canvases into comfortable, stylish, and inspiring spaces.

Our collection of customizable wall art products allows your customers to create the perfect aesthetic for their dorm rooms or apartments. Your customers can choose to create a gallery wall with their favorite quotes, art, or personal photographs, or just go for one statement piece. The options are endless. 

To promote wall art for the new academic year, you could create a blog post with tips for decorating dorm rooms or small apartments, mentioning how wall art can transform the space. Feature customers' dorm rooms or apartments with your wall art to show potential customers how your products could enhance their living spaces.

You can also run a social media campaign showing before-and-after transformations featuring your wall art. The before could be a bare, uninviting room, and the after – a warm, stylish, personalized space. It's all about helping your customers see the potential in their spaces and showing them how your wall art can help achieve it.

While your customers are preparing for the new school year, you can start preparing to make more sales! Don't let the back-to-school season slip by, it's a great time to capitalize on school essentials. With the right promotion and a little creativity, there’s no better way to ensure your customers are ready for class this fall.

With Gelato, you can create eye-catching designs that will get your customers excited for the new school year. Whether they're looking for fresh fall appareal, or picking out a new water bottle, you’ll find the best back-to-school items around on our platform. What’s more, our production network will see to it that your orders are printed and shipped quickly, so you can be sure your customers have the best products in time for starting the school year. 

Happy selling! :)