Fall strategy: From back-to-school to BFCM success
How Labor Day, end-of-summer promos, and seasonal peaks set the stage for Q4
Fall isn’t one campaign, it’s a chain reaction
After a slower summer season, most e-commerce brands ask the same question: How do we build momentum, and do it sustainably?
The good news: Fall gives you multiple chances to connect with customers before Black Friday-Cyber Monday (BFCM). Back-to-school, Labor Day, and end-of-summer sales may feel like smaller events, but together they form a powerful lead-up to Q4’s biggest revenue moment.
At Strategy Labs, we see these not as isolated sales windows, but as stepping stones that fill your funnel, sharpen your messaging, and prep your audiences so that by the time BFCM arrives, you’re not starting from scratch, you’re scaling.
Back-to-school shopping isn’t just for backpacks and pencils. It’s a cultural reset moment: Families reestablish routines, consumers refresh wardrobes, and home offices get reorganized. And it’s not limited to one group. Kids, college students, young parents and middle-age parents all participate in some way.
And the opportunity is huge: The National Retail Federation projects $39.4B in total back-to-school spending this year, with families averaging $858 per K-12 student. The most popular shopping destination? Online, chosen by 55% of consumers.
Why it matters: High-intent shoppers, especially parents, are more willing to spend.
Opportunity: Prospecting campaigns to expand your audience pool with efficient CPCs before peak season.
Tactic: Lean into catalog ads or PMAX campaigns to catch last-minute shoppers with wide product variety. Even if your brand doesn’t sell traditional school supplies, position a few school-adjacent products front and center (think: home office gear, apparel basics, kitchen essentials).
Back-to-school: A fresh audience builder
Labor Day: The unofficial end of summer
Labor Day weekend is one of retail’s most underrated power plays. It acts as both a clearance moment for summer stock and a launch pad for fall trends.
Why it matters: Consumers are trained to expect sales, and you get to test promotional messaging ahead of BFCM.
Opportunity: Use Labor Day as your “mini BFCM dress rehearsal.” Test discount tiers, ad overlays, and creative angles.
Tactic: Be strategic with timing. In some past years, we’ve seen performance stay strong post–Labor Day while CPMs dip, but many brands now keep sales shorter to preserve urgency.
End-of-summer clearance
After Labor Day, demand doesn’t vanish, it shifts. Consumers are still buying, but competition temporarily cools.
Why it matters: This “Opportunity Valley” is a low-cost window to fill your remarketing pool. (See our Seize the Opportunity Valleys blog for CPM trend data.)
Opportunity: Run evergreen campaigns with seasonal overlays (“Last of Summer Sale”) to keep your ads fresh without rebuilding from scratch.
Tactic: Refresh top-performing creatives from spring/summer with updated headlines and CTAs to maximize ROI.
Each campaign builds data, creative learnings, and audience pools. By November, you’ll know which promos resonate, which ads convert, and which audiences are primed, giving you a head start when competition (and costs) skyrocket.
Think of fall as your BFCM training ground
Ready to turn your fall into BFCM success?
Now’s the time to act. The sooner you test, the stronger you’ll scale. Partner with Strategy Labs this fall, and let’s build the momentum that carries your brand into Black Friday-Cyber Monday and beyond.
Interested in seeing what Strategy Labs can do for your Q4?