> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.recart.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/back-to-school.md). # Back to School Covers back-to-school campaign ideas, popup designs and offers, from the summer run-up to the first weeks of term. Back to school isn't only for school supply stores. Parents, students heading back to campus and teachers all shop for the new term - clothes, bags, bottles, tech, stationery and everyday essentials. This playbook covers what to send, how to theme your popups, and which offers work best for the new term. ### Key dates and lead time Term start dates depend on the country, region and school, so check when terms start where most of your customers live. * **4-6 weeks before term starts:** launch your back-to-school popups and offer, and start your first sends * **2-3 weeks before:** shopping lists, essentials and bundles * **Your order-by date:** the last day to order for delivery before the first day. Work it out from your carriers' deadlines and your own packing time * **The first weeks of term:** "forgot something?" and restock messages {% hint style="info" %} If your customers are spread across regions with different start dates, keep your messages about "the new term" rather than one specific date. {% endhint %} ### Campaign send plan Five to six sends are enough. Use these messages as a starting point and customize them to suit your brand. Recart adds your site name to the start of every message automatically (shown here as \[Site Name]), and you can personalize further with [variables](/sms/writing-messages/use-variables-in-sms-flows.md) like the subscriber's first name or your support email (shown here as \[Support Email]). | Send | When | Goal | | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | | 1. Back-to-school launch | 4-6 weeks before term | Introduce your offer | | 2. Shopping list | About 3 weeks before | Make it easy to buy everything at once | | 3. Bundles and multipacks | About 2 weeks before | Raise order value | | 4. Order-by reminder | A few days before your order-by date | Get orders in on time | | 5. Last call | Your order-by date | Create urgency | | 6. Restock | First weeks of term | Catch forgotten items | #### Sample messages **1. Back-to-school launch** "\[Site Name]: Back to school is coming! Enjoy \[offer] on our new-term picks until \[date]. Shop now: \[link]" **2. Shopping list** "\[Site Name]: Your back-to-school list, sorted. Everything you need for the new term in one place: \[link]" **3. Bundles and multipacks** "\[Site Name]: Stock up and save - our multipacks cover the whole term. Ordering for a whole class? Email us at \[Support Email]. \[link]" **4. Order-by reminder** "\[Site Name]: Order by \[date] to have everything ready for the first day. \[link]" **5. Last call** "\[Site Name]: Last day to order before term starts! Don't miss it: \[link]" **6. Restock** "\[Site Name]: First week done! Forgot something? We've got you covered: \[link]" #### Send tips * Speak to everyone who shops for the new term - parents, students and teachers * Add a product image to your launch and bundle sends * Send at times that suit busy families, like early evening * Schedule your sends in advance so nothing slips [How to schedule SMS campaigns in Recart](/sms/campaigns/run-successful-sms-campaigns-with-recart.md) [Add images to SMS messages](/sms/writing-messages/add-images-to-sms-messages.md) ### Popup ideas Keep your popup on-brand, with a new-term touch - a small label like "Back to school" and a fresh product photo are often enough. Four directions to try: #### 1. Back-to-campus early access
A full-screen dark hoodie popup headed 20% off the hoodie you'll live in, with an Unlock 20% off button and a free shipping note, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** A full-screen product photo with your headline on top. Add a short line at the bottom, like a free shipping threshold, to give one more reason to order. **Headlines to try:** * \[20%] off the \[product] you'll live in * First pick of our new-term drop * Ready for the new term? **Button text to try:** Unlock \[20%] off · Get early access #### 2. Gift with purchase
A light stationery popup headed Fresh pages, fresh start, offering a free pencil set over $40 with a Claim my free pencil set button, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** A soft photo background with a thin border and an elegant font. Name the free item in the button so shoppers know exactly what they get. **Headlines to try:** * Fresh pages, fresh start * A free \[item] for the new term * A free gift with every order over \[amount] **Button text to try:** Claim my free \[item] · Get my gift #### 3. First back-to-school order
A split popup with two water bottles by a pool, headed 15% off your first tumbler, with a Get my 15% off button, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** Product photo on one side, offer on the other. Tell shoppers what they'll get by text, for example a heads-up before bestsellers sell out. **Headlines to try:** * \[15%] off your first \[product] * Ready for the new term * Be first to know before bestsellers sell out **Button text to try:** Get my \[15%] off · Count me in #### 4. Multipacks and bundles
A purple sock popup headed Fresh socks, fresh term, offering $10 off a first multipack with a Get $10 off button, on desktop and mobile
**Design:** Bright colours and a fun product photo. Point the offer at a multipack or bundle to raise order value - new-term shoppers often buy several of the same thing. **Headlines to try:** * Fresh \[product], fresh term * Stock up for the whole term * \[$10] off your first multipack **Button text to try:** Get \[$10] off · Shop multipacks {% hint style="info" %} A soft decline link like "Maybe later" or "No thanks" keeps the popup friendly. Make sure your Welcome Flow's first message matches the offer on the popup. {% endhint %} [Create a welcome popup](/list-growth/popups/welcome-popup.md) [Schedule your opt-in tools](/list-growth/testing-and-scheduling/scheduling-opt-ins.md) [Customize your CTA button](/list-growth/popups/customizing-your-cta-button-in-popups.md) ### Discount ideas New-term shoppers often buy a whole list at once. Offers that reward bigger orders work well. * **Multipacks and bundles:** a fixed amount off a pack or set * **Gift with purchase:** a free small item over a set order value * **First-order discount:** a percentage or fixed amount off for new subscribers * **Early access:** let subscribers shop your new-term drop first * **Free shipping over a set amount:** encourages shoppers to add more to their cart * **Restock offer:** a small discount in the first weeks of term for forgotten items #### Discount code ideas Keep codes short - one word or a word and a number - so they're easy to remember and type on a phone. | Offer | Code ideas | | ---------------------- | ---------------------- | | Multipacks and bundles | PACK · BUNDLE · STOCK | | Gift with purchase | GIFT · BONUS | | First-order discount | SCHOOL · CLASS · BTS15 | | Early access | EARLY · CAMPUS | | Free shipping | SHIP · FREE | | Restock | REFILL · TERM | {% hint style="info" %} For unique and expiring codes, Recart adds six random characters to your prefix (for example, BTS15ABC123). A short prefix keeps the full code easy to read. {% endhint %} [Create and manage discount codes](/discounts/create-discount-codes-in-recart.md) [Expiring discount codes](/discounts/expiring-discount-codes.md) ### Recart setup checklist 1. Check when terms start where your customers live, and set your order-by date 2. Create your back-to-school discount (and your restock offer), with start and end dates 3. Build your back-to-school popup and schedule it to start 4-6 weeks before term 4. Update your Welcome Flow's first message to match the popup offer 5. Add your order-by date to your abandoned cart and checkout messages, and set a reminder to remove it afterwards 6. Schedule your campaigns and send yourself test messages before anything goes live [Abandoned cart flow](/sms/automated-flows/automated-flows-abandoned-cart.md) [Test Recart SMS messages](/sms/getting-started/test-recart-sms-messages.md) If you need help planning your back-to-school sends, [contact the Recart Support team](/contact-recart-support.md). We'd be happy to help! --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/back-to-school.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.