For many stores, midsummer marks the back-to-school sales season. In the past, parents would opt in buying all the school supplies and essentials for their children in one store – but that’s not the case anymore. With the growing use of mobile devices, families now compare deals from various places and even do their shopping online. Although it may seem that an OmniChannel experience would encourage consumers to spend less, it actually causes them to spend 3.5 times more.

A study has shown that while only 8% of back-to-school purchases take place online, about 92% of parents rely on their mobile devices when they are shopping for their kids. Moreover, half of the shoppers who buy in-store reported having compared prices on their cell phones beforehand. Conversely, 67% of consumers browse items in the store and buy the same or similar products online.

Nowadays, in-person purchases are also the result of an OmniChannel journey that businesses need to recognize to trace the channels that are the most effective. On the surface, digital shoppers seem like a small niche in back-to-school season, but the big picture reveals that almost all sales were influenced by more than one channel.

From the current back-to-school season, businesses can learn how customers subconsciously seek an OmniChannel experience even if they do not end up purchasing online. Optikal helps brands to identify their target audience by providing OmniChannel Marketing that aids them in capturing and keeping their consumers throughout busy seasons. It is important to recognize that shoppers who walk into the store may have gone through several channels before deciding to show up in-person.