Target offers discounts as teachers prep for back-to-school
Source: Target

Target offers discounts as teachers prep for back-to-school

Target is introducing a 15 percent discount for teachers as part of its back-to-school selling efforts.

Target wrote in a blog entry, “Pssst… teachers. New this year, we’re making life a little easier for you, too, with a special 15 percent discount” to “add a little extra sparkle to your classrooms.”

The coupon applies to select classroom supplies, from pens, pencils, crayons and markers to classroom storage and organization and tissues and hand sanitizer in stores and on Target.com from July 15 to 21.

Teachers are encouraged to visit Target.com/teacherprep starting July 15 to verify their teacher status and secure the Teacher Prep Event coupon code.

In a National Center of Education Statistics study released earlier this year, 94 percent of teachers reported spending their own money on supplies. The average amount teachers spent without reimbursement was $479, which is almost double the $250 tax deduction available to teachers.

“As many teachers begin to think about the upcoming school year, the Teacher Prep Event helps them get the classroom supplies they need at a greater value,” Mark Tritton, Target’s EVP and chief merchandising officer, said in press release. “It’s a way for Target to acknowledge the role they play in going the extra mile for their students.”

Target earned some media coverage for the announcement, but several other retailers also offer discounts for teachers:

  • Staples is bringing back its “Teacher Appreciation” days, whereby teachers can head to stores for a free sample kit, special savings and a chance to win $500 in supplies for their classroom.
  • Under Barnes & Noble’s Educators program, teachers can earn 20 percent off the publisher’s list price on all purchases for classroom use. The bookseller also holds a My Favorite Teachers Contest.
  • At Michael’s, teachers earn a 15 percent discount on items to decorate their classrooms.
  • The Container Store offers an “Our Organized Teacher” program that gives educators special discounts throughout the year to help organize their classrooms.

BrainTrust

"Siding with teachers is always a good move."

Ray Riley

Chief Executive Officer, Progress Retail


"Is Target’s new teacher discount a sales or goodwill opportunity? I say it’s a sales opportunity banking on goodwill."

Georganne Bender

Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking


"The discount will also help drive incremental sales for Target, as teachers combine their personal shopping list with their school shopping..."

Ken Morris

Managing Partner Cambridge Retail Advisors


Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Is targeting teachers during the back-to-school selling season more of a sales or goodwill opportunity? Should supporting teachers and schools be a larger part of retail’s BTS campaigns?

Poll

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Phil Masiello
Member
5 years ago

This is a bit of both goodwill and sales. Being the first out there offering a discount and making a big splash about it made Target top-of-mind for teachers when they need to buy supplies. I am sure teachers will appreciate the savings.

Supporting teachers and schools should be a large part of all back-to-school efforts. Education is important for parents and is a great way for Target to connect with their customer base. Retailers that support the same causes as the shopper always win.

Dave Bruno
Active Member
5 years ago

Whether Target supporting teachers with discounts is a sales effort or a goodwill effort doesn’t really matter to me. I applaud every retailer that chips in to help our teachers, and I bet this promotion will be helpful to Target in the short run. Here’s hoping the promotion is so successful that Target decides to offer the discount to teachers all year long!

Neil Saunders
Famed Member
5 years ago

This is a smart move by Target. There is a clear sales opportunity here, and the positive publicity from helping schools and teachers is also beneficial. Target’s prices are already very sharp during back-to-school — much sharper than a supposed specialist like Staples, so an additional percentage off is very generous. Profits must be wafer thin, but Target will figure that getting people into stores will drive other revenue and profit opportunities.

Rich Kizer
Member
5 years ago

It is brilliant. We have spoken to many teachers and hear the stories of how they invest in their students. I’m not surprised to see these retail promotions for teachers, and I tip my hat to these retailers. Not new, but needed. I would hope the entire creative retail industry would get on board and donate (instead of throw out) the odds and ends they have that I am sure teachers could use. Here’s an idea: donate construction paper (scraps or full sheets that need to be cleared out), let the children create holiday cards and sell the cards in the store with proceeds as an in-store credit for the teacher. And my final thought: it’s a good business move.

Scott Norris
Active Member
Reply to  Rich Kizer
5 years ago

The educational products industry does support the Kids In Need Foundation, which has warehouses nationwide to collect surplus/overstock/discontinued inventory from publishers and redistribute it to needy schools and teachers.

Anne Howe
Anne Howe
Member
5 years ago

Target is making a decent effort here and it will likely help sales. But retailers should step up and offer discounts to anyone who will help fund a teacher’s legit wish list for a classroom. I know it’s hard to get that type of program organized but I can think of many grandparents who would willingly put $50 into a teacher’s supply account. Senior spending power can be applied toward a greater good.

Kelly Tackett
Kelly Tackett
Reply to  Anne Howe
5 years ago

I totally agree with Anne. I also think the goodwill aspect grows exponentially with some sort of follow-through during the remainder of the year. Perhaps 15 percent off at BTS and 10 percent off on the same qualifying items throughout the rest of the year. Similar to how Lowe’s has built advocacy with its 10 percent military discount.

Mike Osorio
5 years ago

Unfortunately this is more of a statement of poor school funding and the requirement for teachers to supplement school supplies with their own purchases. Target and many others offering teacher discounts has become necessary to attract this purchasing demographic and Target is wise to participate. It will be both a sales and goodwill opportunity.

Bob Amster
Trusted Member
5 years ago

The campaign is both an opportunity to create goodwill and to increase sales. We call it a win/win situation. Target should publicize this as much as possible because the number of teachers who will shop Target, I would guess, is a relatively small portion of their customer base, but the goodwill can be felt by a much larger constituency.

Ray Riley
Member
5 years ago

Siding with teachers is always a good move, and if these teachers/customers can combine their regular household shopping with their school prep shopping, it eats at Amazon and Walmart’s share of this occasion and keeps Target top-of-mind for many of these customers’ other shopping occasions.

Frank Riso
Frank Riso
5 years ago

I do not think teachers care if it is a selling or goodwill opportunity so neither do I. It is the right thing to do and many other retailers should join the effort for teachers. School districts are very limited in their ability to help teachers as it creates greater tax issues for the community. Retailers as part of the community can and should do more for the teachers. Retailers need to do more for the BTS season for both the teachers and the parents. I recently stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond and they have a discount program for college students needing to furnish their dorms, etc. Another nice touch for students and for moms and dads. Target shows leadership once more!

Evan Snively
Member
Reply to  Frank Riso
5 years ago

Agreed Frank! I was hanging out with a couple friends who are teachers this weekend and this promotion got brought up. My initial stance was that it seemed like a bit of a publicity grab from Target with only a 15 percent discount and they both agreed that while it probably was, they both would still be taking advantage of it.
So it seems like everyone is a winner — and I hope that more retailers continue to focus on this in the coming years to support our educators!

Kevin Graff
Member
5 years ago

We all read too often about teachers having to reach into their own pockets for what should be already supplied by the schools. Governments seem to find millions in tax credits for corporations and the rich, but somehow can’t get their head out of that very dark place to invest in the the children who are our future.

To Target, and every other retailer who steps up to help … thank you!

It’s good business … and even better corporate leadership.

Georganne Bender
Noble Member
5 years ago

It’s no surprise that each year teachers spend their own money for class decor and supplies, and that many companies opt to give them a break. Teacher discounts are well-deserved, but they are nothing new — myeducationdiscount.com is an entire website devoted to deals on just about anything you can imagine, expressly for teachers.

Is Target’s new teacher discount a sales or goodwill opportunity? I say it’s a sales opportunity banking on goodwill. Target’s discount is thoughtful, however, if it is truly meant to extend goodwill the discount would last longer than a week. Loft’s “Loft Loves Teachers” program, for example, gives teachers a 15 percent discount every day, plus all sorts of additional perks. That’s goodwill.

Jeff Sward
Noble Member
5 years ago

Yes and yes! Makes all the sense in the world. Big round of applause! A great investment in emotional connection and loyalty.

Dick Seesel
Trusted Member
5 years ago

Targeting schoolteachers, not just parents and children, during BTS shopping season is a smart idea for any retailer. It’s been well documented that thousands of teachers spend money out of their own pockets for school supplies if their school system budgets don’t cover the costs. (And teachers aren’t especially well paid to begin with.) While Target often has one eye on the PR benefit of their decisions, this one should ring the register too.

Ken Morris
Trusted Member
5 years ago

Target’s discounts for teachers is both a good will and a sales opportunity. Supporting teachers is a great opportunity for retailers to win the hearts, the minds and the purses/wallets of America. Teachers are clearly underpaid and under-appreciated and retailers have an opportunity to cement long term relationships with the teachers but better still with the students to create a lifetime value that far exceeds the temporary margin hit they may take on back to school promotions. With several other retailers offering teacher discounts, it is important for Target and other classroom supplies retailers to follow suit, as teacher will shop at the brands that offer the best deals to stretch their dollars.

The teacher’s discount will also help drive incremental sales for Target, as teachers combine their personal shopping list with their school shopping list while they are in the store. Back-to-school is a mini holiday season, a dry run if you will, for the upcoming major holiday season.

Min-Jee Hwang
Member
5 years ago

Targeting teachers for back to school sales is a great opportunity to reach out to a niche market, but this strategy may fall more towards being a goodwill opportunity. Regardless, it’s important that retailers support teachers, schools, and education by offering discounts such as these. When retailers support what their customers are passionate about, they will succeed. Large companies who support the education system have important implications on our society as well. Not many brands have made a large effort in offering discounts to teachers, so Target used this marketing opportunity geared towards teachers to promote positive publicity which will also increase sales in the long run.