Getting the Most Out of Back to School Sales

By the time you receive this issue of MMR, your store likely already has in place plans to attract student and parent customers as kids return to school in September. Each new academic season brings with it first-time musicians, as well as student players looking to advance to that next-level instrument and children needing to stock up on sheet music, reeds, strings, mouthpieces, and so on. Sales of PA/sound reinforcement gear, instructional and recording software, and other related products to instructors and administrators also commonly see a spike in the weeks and months leading up to the fall semester.

This month, MMR reached out to over 1,000 MI retailers to see what sorts of “Back to School” events are working for them, what types of product move the most during this season, and what trends are currently defining the season.

“Rental business is so intense [at this time], creating the highest traffic of all seasons, therefore it’s not considered [to be] the appropriate time to spend our marketing dollars.”

Tony Leonard

Playground Music Center

Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.

“Christmas is more profitable, but ‘Back to School’ is a close second.”

Mark Johnson

Welch Music

Burley, Idaho

We work very closely with schools in our trade area. It is this cooperation that makes our ‘Back to School’ event so successful!”

Robert Christie

A&G Central Music

Madison Heights, Mich.

“We have been shut out of the majority of school districts in our area due to a larger chain store having exclusive rights to the students and their contact information.”

Dick Ward

Music Unlimited

Richland, Wash.

“We give teachers quantities of contract forms to pass [out] to students. Contracts are for a starter plan – for example, buy a small violin, $195 used/ $255 new, trade up with 50 percent credit. [It’s] more convenient, overall, than low monthly payments.”

Henry Strobel

Henry Strobel & Son Violin Shop

Aumsville (Salem), Ore.

“We send emails to our band director list and the Bandmasters convention falls at the end of July, so we are able to get flyers into everyone’s hands.”

Adam York

The Music Store, Inc.

Tulsa, Okla.

“I always try to keep communications open and invite teachers to come in, look, and advise me.”

Rod Lindner

Lindner Music

Watertown, S.C.

“Personal contact with our local band and orchestra directors has proven much more powerful than running Back to School ads.”

Jim Nardi

Uptown Music

Keizer, Ore.

“Our rentals and Summer Pre-Band Kick offs precede any Fall ‘Back to School’ event, so there is no need to boost sales (It’s already the busiest time of the year for beginner band/marching band/summer lessons, et cetera).”

Candice Girt-Stojkov

Music 101 Ohio

Fowler-Cortland, Ohio

“We have several afternoons set aside for various schools where we work with students from that school, decorate with school colors and mascot, et cetera.”

Tracy Leenman

Musical Innovations

Greenville, S.C.

“We offer it during the second quarter to pique their interest then, so that they think of our store in the third quarter when its time to rent or buy an instrument,”

Lauren Haas Amanfoh

Royalton Music Center

North Royalton, Ohio

“The ‘Dog and Pony show’ usually takes place at the end of the school year for us.”

Adam York

The Music Store, Inc.

Tulsa, Okla.

   Please describe your most successful “Back to School” sale.

“We invite all young and advancing musicians to spend time in the shop in the summertime to try out instruments and accessories, basically to just explore. It always translates to increased sales during September. In addition, we offer a significant discount to students who attend the city performing arts high schools. We mostly rely on word of mouth, which is fairly effective.”

Jay McMahon

Jon Baltimore Music Company

New York, N.Y.

“Our Back to School Bash – an evening which the Chamber of Commerce co-sponsors, Sonic brings a hot dog bar, a local marching band plays in the parking lot, and families are encouraged to come in and get their instruments for fall.”

Tracy Leenman

Musical Innovations

Greenville, S.C.

“We offer a tiered intro special for rentals, as well as 50 percent off stands and 25 percent off care kits, so they can get everything they need for school – and on sale!”

Lauren Haas Amanfoh

Royalton Music Center

North Royalton, Ohio

“We are big believers in ‘bundling.’ We work closely with the band directors in our trade area and build ‘back to school’ packages containing all the items directors require/desire for their students.  By doing this, we become the ‘easy button’ for parents.  Parents know that when they come to us they will receive exactly what they need, in one package, at a great price.  The Directors know that by sending students our way they will have a classroom full of kids who are fully prepared to participate in class.  The combination of the teachers driving in the traffic and the parents’ trust in us makes for a very successful fall selling season!”

Robert Christie

A&G Central Music

Madison Heights, Mich.

“We do a lot of band displays in the local schools. We also attach store coupons to our band flyers. This helps us track sales and know that our ads are working.”

Karen Hatter

Chords & Keys Music

Colonial Heights, Va.

“Our ‘Back to School’ promotions are store wide. We also have lesson studios and promote ‘back to lessons’ as well.”

Mike Guillot

Mississippi Music, Inc.

Flowood, Miss.

“We don’t do a ‘Back to School’ sale, as 99.9 percent of the customers want to rent and there’s no point in putting rentals on sale. Recruiting and petting zoo events need to be done well in advance of back to school season as teachers and our staff are too busy with rental meetings and filling contracts to try to do effective student demos.”

Peter Sides

Robert M. Sides Family

Music Centers

Williamsport, Pa.

“Probably six or seven years ago when the handheld digital recorders were starting to come on strong, we put those on the back to school flyer saying, ‘This is a tool no band director should be without!’ We probably sold 40 units.”

Adam York

The Music Store, Inc.

Tulsa, Okla.

“Summer tent sale in July before back to school season really begins. [We have] lots of used instruments sold from our rental pool.”

Mick Faulhaber

Ward-Brodt Music Company

Madison, Wis.