Deals and discounts are common tactics to draw in shoppers during the back-to-school season. But how about a promise that prices won’t rise within the next few weeks?
That’s the premise of JCPenney’s Price Lock guarantee, an offer the department store chain is running through Aug. 27 on select items with help from comedian Zarna Garg, who appears in social posts and even a “leaked” group text where she explains the specifics of the deal to a cohort of other moms. Price locks aren’t unheard of, but the sense that consumers are seeking assurances around cost has been amplified during a period of intense economic shocks stemming from inflation and the Iran war.
“It’s not like [affordability] hasn’t always been important, but there are macroeconomic realities that are making constraints on real American families, I would say, even harder than ever,” said Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer at JCPenney’s parent Catalyst Brands.
A fresh spotlight on value comes as the back-to-school window expands, aligning with larger calendar creep for the holidays, while the avenues for reaching consumers continue to splinter, including into new artificial intelligence-powered channels. JCPenney’s partnership with Garg is indicative of the leading role celebrities and content creators are playing in back-to-school marketing this year, but influencers are another area where fragmentation presents challenges, leading more brands to broaden their canvasses.
“For us, it doesn’t always have to be ‘influencer’ with a capital ‘I.’ It can be micro-influencers, too — people who just feel real and authentic and credible and can extend our story,” said Thalberg.
The 2026 back-to-school season so far has seen retailers continue to try and kickstart marketing activities earlier, an approach that has led to the jarring effect of messaging popping up almost immediately after classes let out for summer or even when kids still have their heads down for final exams.
Amazon moved its Prime Day deals bonanza to late June for the first time and has been tighter-lipped about the promotion’s performance. Kohl’s began rolling out its back-to-school campaign on July 5 with ads that see Ellie Kemper reprise her bubbly Kohl’s Mom character. Target has also shifted some of its media investment earlier in the season than usual, Marketing Dive understands.
Retailers could be adjusting their calendars to recognize different timetables for when public schools return in the U.S. — JCPenney is bolstering its marketing support based on that rotating timing, Thalberg said — but there is also a sense that these moves appeal to a bigger cohort of bargain hunters. Nearly one-third of parents now qualify as “hyper value-seekers” who employ four or more cost-saving techniques, according to a Deloitte’s latest back-to-school report.
“From a brand and retailer perspective, we still continue to see this season pull forward. This year, a lot of those promotional events that kick off the back-to-school season actually started at the end of June,” said Brian McCarthy, retail strategy leader at the consultancy. “For retailers and brands, the earlier they can start, the higher likelihood they’re going to capture their fair share or more than their fair share of a controlled spend.”
(Copyright:MarketingDive Brands shake up back-to-school marketing to reach ‘hyper value-seekers’ | Marketing Dive)
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