Rite Aid altered its back-to-school marketing routine this year to place a greater emphasis on college needs.Running under a “Get Organized for Back to School” theme, this year's effort plugged everything from electronics to snack foods to position the drugstore chain as a “one-stop shop” for college-minded consumers. The retailer shifted its focus in response to National Retail Federation research finding that college necessities “have enjoyed consistently higher spending than primary back-to-school categories since 2008,” according to a media release. “At the same time, we remain committed to delivering great value on back-to-school basics for all ages,” executive vice president of merchandising Tony Montini said in the release, which was issued in late July.In stores, the retailer stocked up on non-endemic dorm room “essentials” such as TVs, laptop trays, cabinets, storage bins and bathroom sets. Meanwhile, shelf talkers directing consumers to the “Stationery Aisle” to find school supplies showcased notebooks from Acco Brands’ Mead.Other shelf signs and headers promoted household and packaged food SKUs from private labels Rite Aid Home and Rite Aid Pantry, as well as +UP Rewards offers for Wellness + loyalty cardholders on specific national brands. Among the promotions:A header on an endcap stocking products from Reckitt Benckiser’s Finish, Resolve, Woolite, Lysol and Airwick — along with private-label Rite Aid Home paper towels — promised $7 in Rewards with a $20 purchase.An endcap carrying General Mills SKUs plugged the manufacturer's “Box Tops for Education” program while promising $5 in Rewards with a $20 purchase on its header.A header above a power wing for Lindt & Sprungli’s Ghirardelli touted a “two for $6” deal plus $2 in Rewards with purchase.Circular features beginning July 14 and running through Sept. 1 offered +UP Rewards with purchase of electronics from brands including Imation Corp.’s Memorex, Monster Cable Products' Monster, Hewlett-Packard’s HP, and the flagship brands of Texas Instruments, Craig Electronics, Maxell USA and Tech Universe.Other seasonal features presented deals on:packaged foods from brands such as Mondelez International’s Oreo, Campbell Soup Co.’s Pepperidge Farm, ConAgra Foods' Hunt’s, Kellogg Co.’s Cheez-It, PepsiCo’s Aunt Jemima and Sun-Maid Growers of California's flagship.traditional school supplies from Hallmark Cards’ Crayola, Hasbro Inc.’s Playskool, Rite Aid Home and multiple brands from 3M, Elmer’s Products, Bic Corp., Pilot Corp., Newell Rubbermaid and Acco.vitamins and supplements from NBTY Inc. in a tie-in to the manufacturer's national "School of Good Health" effort. (See Related Promotional Activity.)brands from Unilever, Georgia-Pacific and Sun Products Corp. in an overlay to their joint "Start School Smarter" effort. (See Related Promotional Activity.)The retailer also sold backpacks for the first time, using distinct features to plug items from Victorinox’s Swiss Army along with lunch totes from Walt Disney Co.'s Disney Consumer Products and generic children’s water bottles.In digital activity, riteaid.com's "Video Values" program (see “Rite Aid Wants … ” in Related Articles) showcased “Back to School Beauty” products from Biersdorf Inc.’s Nivea, Unilever’s Simple, Kao USA’s John Frieda and L’Oreal USA’s flagship brand. A carousel ad on the program's landing page depicting the participating brands ran Aug. 17-21, according to OASIS (the Path to Purchase Institute’s tracking service for retail digital media). Tampa, FL-based Triad Retail Media handles advertising on the website.Additional marketing activity included Facebook and Twitter updates promoting various aspects of the campaign. An Aug. 22 Facebook update encouraged parents to discuss their children’s health care needs with a store pharmacist to complete their “back to school checklist.”For the first time in 10 years, this year's back-to-school effort did not include a “Glam Camp” promotion. (See “Rite Aid Keeps … ”)