As summer winds down and the scent of freshly sharpened pencils fills the air, the back-to-school season emerges as a prime opportunity for affiliate marketers. This bustling period, marked by families preparing for the new academic year, sees a surge in demand for school supplies, tech gadgets, apparel, and educational resources. Savvy marketers can tap into this lucrative market by partnering with top-notch affiliate programs that offer attractive commissions and high-converting products.
Whether you’re a seasoned affiliate or a newcomer looking to capitalize on this seasonal spike, our comprehensive guide to the best affiliate programs for back-to-school season will help you navigate the plethora of options and maximize your earnings. Dive in as we explore the leading programs that promise to make your affiliate marketing efforts a resounding success during this vibrant and profitable season.
E-commerce of the Back-To-School season
How long will Back-to School Season 2024 continue?
Even though a lot of parents of schoolkids and students have already started their BTS shopping, approximately 86% still have more than a half of shopping list needed to be purchased. So, the BTS season will continue till mid-September. The reasons for this prolonged shopping are mostly anticipating bigger deals and figuring out what other items will be needed.
How much are people planning to spend?
- $875 on average by families with children from elementary through high school;
- $1,365 on average by college students and their families.
What do consumers buy during Back-to-School season?
K-12 shoppers (it’s a short form for individuals involved in purchasing products and services for K-12 education, which includes kindergarten through 12th grade)
- Electronics: 13.7 billion
- Clothing and accessories: $11.2 billion
- School supplies: $6.3 billion
- Shoes: $7.6 billion
- 57% - online
- 50% - department stores
- 47% - discount stores
- 42% - clothing stores
- 23% - electronics stores
- Electronics: $22.8 billion
- Dorm or apartment furnishings: $12.2 billion
- Clothing and accessories: $10.9 billion
- Food: $9.5 billion
- Shoes: $7.1 billion
- 50% - online
- 35% - department stores
- 31% - discount stores
- 26% - college bookstores
- 26% - office supply stores
- 26% - clothing stores
BTS unrelated purchases
Although parents are concentrating on necessities, 85% of parents are eager to splurge on a must-have item or brand to make the start of school exciting or enhance their child’s self-esteem.
50% of parents are going to shop for themselves too during this season, and parents who buy items for themselves while shopping for their children tend to spend 1.4 times more than those who don’t.
Source: eMarketer, Deloitte’s 2024 back-to-school survey
What’s next?
Consumers will keep shopping in August. According to the NRF, 55% of shoppers began their shopping in early July, yet most still have at least half of their purchases remaining. One of the reasons behind that is waiting for more deals, because price is one of the most crucial factors for the majority of customers. More than 80% of consumers consider rewards programs and loyalty as one of impactful aspects when making decisions on purchases.
As you see, back-to-school season is in full swing. Let’s get to the affiliate programs.
The best affiliate programs for back-to-school season 2024
Multicategory retailers
Walmart Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: US
Payout: up to 15%
Cookie: 3 days
Hold: 90 days
Deeplinks: yes
AR: 50.22%
Clothing and shoes
Matalan Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: GB
Payout: 1%
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: yes
AR: 43%
Crocs Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: FR, DE, SG, GB
Payout: 1%
Cookie: 60 days
Hold: 30 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 80%
Electronics
Best Buy Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: US
Payout: 0.5%
Cookie: 45 days
Hold: 70 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 11%
Goodee Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: US, GB
Payout: up to 14%
Cookie: 60 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: no
Gabb Affiliate Program
View attachment 54091
Type: CPS
GEO: US
Payout: $24.5
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: no
Books
AbeBooks Affiliate Program
View attachment 54092
Type: CPS
GEO: Worldwide
Payout: 2%
Cookie: 50 days
Hold: 90 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 65%
ThriftBooks Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: US
Payout: 4%
Cookie: 7 days
Hold: 45 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 80%
EdTech
Udemy Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: Worldwide
Payout: 10%
Cookie: 7 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 91%
Domestika Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: AR, BR, CA, CL, FR, DE, IT, MX, NL, PL, PT, ES, GB, US
Payout: up to 40%
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: yes
AR: 45%
Marketplaces
AliExpress Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: Worldwide
Payout: up to 8%
Cookie: 3 days
Hold: 30 days
Deeplinks: yes
AR: 77%
TEMU Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: AU, AT, BE, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DK, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, JP, KR, MY, MX, NL, NZ, NO, PH, PL, PT, RO, SK, ES, SE, CH, UA, GB, US
Payout: up to 15%
Cookie: 1 day
Hold: 120 days
Deeplinks: yes
AR: 50%
LightInTheBox Affiliate Program
View attachment 54093
Type: CPS
GEO: Worldwide
Payout: 1%
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 75 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 66%
DHgate Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: Worldwide
Payout: up to 15%
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: yes
AR: 70%
Train tickets (for Europe GEOs)
Trainline Affiliate Program
Type: CPS
GEO: GB
Payout: up to 8%
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 30 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 95%
National Express Affiliate Program (EXCLUSIVE)
Type: CPS
GEO: FR, DE, GB
Payout: up to 8%
Cookie: 30 days
Hold: 60 days
Deeplinks: no
AR: 4%
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Wrapping It Up
As the back-to-school season approaches, affiliate marketers have a prime opportunity to tap into a bustling market eager for school supplies, tech gadgets, apparel, and educational resources. By partnering with our top-tier affiliate programs, you can provide valuable solutions to students, parents, and educators while reaping substantial rewards.
To make the most of this lucrative period, focus on understanding your audience’s needs, selecting programs that offer appealing and high-quality products, and creating engaging content that stands out. The right strategy will not only drive traffic and conversions but also build trust and credibility with your audience.
Join Indoleads to get access to a catalogue with 3000+ offers for 180+ GEOs, it’s absolutely free, but will open up myriads of opportunities for your affiliate success.
