Back to School and Return to City Life: 2025 Trends and Consumer Behaviors

The back-to-school period signifies a new beginning not just for students and their parents, but for the entire city. This process combines the concepts of "Back to School" and "Return to the City," presenting a major opportunity for the retail and marketing world. Understanding the trends and consumer behaviors of this period in 2025 is critically important for brands to define their strategies correctly. As families focus on both traditional school needs and the new dynamics of urban life in their preparation for the new term, technological advancements and AI-powered platforms are shaping this shopping journey. In this article, we will conduct a detailed analysis of the general market outlook, target audience, and digital marketing trends of this period.

Market Overview of the Back to School & Return to the City Period

The back-to-school period is a high-stakes process for families, with the average family spending 10,000 TL in 2024. The largest portions of this expenditure were on stationery, clothing and shoes, and books. Parents are inclined to spend more with encouragement from their children; according to a 2024 survey, 61% of parents stated that their children encouraged them to spend more during the back-to-school season. This indicates that children play a significant role in purchasing decisions and that brands need to shape their target audience strategies towards both parents and children. Furthermore, online shopping has gained increasing momentum during this period, a trend that has strengthened over the years. This highlights the importance for brands to have a digital presence and run effective campaigns.

Across the market, consumer spending habits and expectations are evolving with increased competition and technological advancements. While global retail sales are expected to grow by 4% in 2025, e-commerce is projected to account for 21% of retail sales. This requires brands to establish a strong presence in both physical and digital channels. Consumers, especially during peak periods like "Back to School" and "Return to the City," want to discover products in more natural and intelligent ways. In this context, visual search tools like Google Lens and other AI-powered technologies are coming to the forefront by personalizing and simplifying the shopping experience. These trends demonstrate the necessity for brands not only to showcase their products but also to offer a value-oriented, competitive, and technology-supported shopping experience to consumers.

Target Audience Analysis and Consumer Behaviors

The target audience during this period encompasses a wide spectrum, including both parents and students. In Turkey, 51% of X (formerly Twitter) users are parents with children under the age of 18. Of these parents, 28% have at least two children. This data shows that platforms like X hold great potential for reaching and engaging with parents. While parents research their children's school needs, students use different platforms to discover products that reflect their personal style and school life. Therefore, brands need to create original and engaging content that appeals to both audiences. For example, on Pinterest, both students and parents conduct shopping-related searches using keywords like "school supplies," "backpack organization," and "back-to-school checklist."

Consumer behaviors are shaped by their interactions, especially on digital platforms. On TikTok, users generated 9.6 billion video views for hashtags related to "Back to School" (#B2S). The content of these videos generally focuses on communities, shopping, schools, and preparation. Among the most popular hashtags are #okul (school) (770M views), #üniversite (university) (466M views), and #okuladönüş (back to school) (261M views). This shows that brands can reach large audiences through popular hashtags and viral content. Additionally, consumers tend to set aside their brand loyalty during this period and become more open to new brands. According to Google's internal data, 51% of consumers indicated they were open to new brands during last year's peak preparation season. This demonstrates that brands need to develop effective strategies to acquire new customers in a highly competitive environment.

Category and Digital Marketing Trends

Digital marketing trends are focusing on the consumer's search and discovery processes. The rise of online shopping, particularly during this period, makes it mandatory for brands to have a strong digital presence. Platforms like Pinterest play a significant role in converting users from "inspiration seekers" to "ready-to-shop" consumers. Student Pinners are 50% more likely than non-students to save shoppable Pins during the school season. Furthermore, categories such as fashion, home decor, art, beauty, and DIY & crafts are among the most shopped on Pinterest. This data emphasizes the importance for brands to showcase their products on visually-oriented platforms and create shoppable content.

The article should also address digital marketing strategies. AI-powered tools enable brands to run more personalized and efficient campaigns. For example, tools like Google's AI Max help capture demand through search term matching and auto-generated content. Similarly, campaigns like Demand Gen can be used to drive more conversions on YouTube and other Google networks. On TikTok, users shape their purchasing decisions by interacting with videos on topics like fashion, hairstyles, and meal prep. These platforms allow brands to connect with their target audience and promote their products in a natural, fun, and informative way. Consequently, campaigns prepared for the "Back to School" and "Return to the City" period can reach wider audiences, holding the potential to increase sales.

Back-to-School Shopping Trends (fashion, beauty, home life, food & beverage)

Back-to-school shopping is a time when students and parents focus not only on school supplies but also on their personal style, living spaces, and daily routines.

In the fashion category, students prefer comfortable and casual clothing, while parents search for clothes for special occasions like school trips for their children, as well as for themselves, with styles like "cool mom" outfits. Bags are also a major focus; searches for "university bag," "college bag," and "cute school bags" show a significant increase.

In the beauty realm, practical solutions like "easy hairstyles" and "simple makeup looks" are prominent for time-crunched students, while parents also search for "school hairstyles" for their children.

Distinct trends are also observed in the home life and food & beverage categories. Students look for decoration ideas to make their dorm rooms feel "like home," searching with keywords like "cozy dorm room" and "study desk decor." Parents, on the other hand, focus on reorganizing the home to ensure their children are ready for the new term. They seek inspiration for study areas and storage solutions with searches like "kids' study desk ideas" and "school bag storage."

In the food & beverage category, both students and parents research ways to prepare practical and nutritious meals for busy school days. Searches like "easy healthy meal prep," "school lunch ideas," and "healthy breakfast for kids" are among the most popular topics of this period.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the back-to-school period start and how long does it last?

The back-to-school period generally begins about a month before schools open, in August, and continues until the end of September. However, conversations and searches related to shopping and preparations start to increase as early as July. It is recommended that brands launch their campaigns in August and continue them throughout September to make the most of this busy period.

What are the most preferred products for back-to-school shopping?

The categories with the highest spending during back-to-school shopping are stationery, clothing and shoes, and books. In addition, technological products, school bags, lunch boxes, and home decor items also attract significant interest. Searches like "backpack organization," "cute school supplies," and "dorm room ideas" are particularly popular on digital platforms.