Billo analysis finds purchase value peaked in August 2025, while ad volume continued climbing into September
Brands may be missing the most valuable part of the back-to-school shopping season by waiting too long to launch their advertising campaigns, according to new analysis from creator marketing platform Billo.
An analysis of 79,347 creator video ads across 15 product categories found that purchase value peaked in August 2025 before falling 6% in September. However, the number of ads running continued to rise, reaching its highest level of the three-month period in September.
Purchases also declined by 5% in September, suggesting that brands were increasing advertising activity after the strongest period of shopper demand had already passed.
Donatas Smailys, CEO of Billo, said:
“The brands that win during the back-to-school season are not necessarily those running the most ads. Ad volume increased in September even as purchase value and overall ROAS declined, meaning the highest number of ads was running after the strongest commercial month had passed.
“AI has made it easier to produce dozens of ad variations, but greater volume does not automatically produce better results. Timing and content that feels authentic still matter.”
Ad volume continued rising after purchase value peaked
Billo’s analysis covers 79,347 creator video ads across 15 product categories during the 2025 back-to-school season.
The data shows a clear gap between shopper demand and advertising activity. Purchase value peaked in August, while brands continued increasing ad volume into September, even as demand began to fall.
| Metric | July 2025 | August 2025 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchases | 464,922 | 466,444 (peak) | 444,162 (-5%) |
| Ads running | 24,799 | 26,203 (+6%) | 28,345 (+8%) |
Apparel and accessories remain consistent, while electronics and home and garden grow
Billo’s analysis identified three categories that stood out for how they performed throughout the season.
Apparel & Accessories delivered the most consistent returns of any category, generating purchase value equal to roughly 3.2 times ad spend across the three months. ROAS remained broadly stable at 3.20 in July, 3.20 in August and 3.15 in September.
Electronics saw the sharpest change in demand. Purchases increased 186% in August compared with July, driven by products including laptops, headphones and dorm technology. Demand remained high in September, at around 150% above July levels.
Home & Garden, which includes products associated with student room set-ups, improved steadily throughout the season. ROAS increased from 1.99 in July to 2.11 in August and 2.15 in September.
Donatas Smailys, CEO of Billo, said:
“It makes sense that electronics and home goods saw a spike. Those purchases are directly tied to going back to school. Apparel is different, since there’s no obvious reason clothing shopping should follow the same curve.
“But apparel brands that kept their campaigns running the entire season saw some of the strongest, most consistent results of any category. That’s a pretty clear signal that consistency, not the calendar, was doing the work.”
How brands can make the most of the season
Based on the findings, Billo recommends brands adjust their back-to-school strategy ahead of this year’s shopping season.
Start in July and stay consistent through August. Launch campaigns in July to capture early demand, then maintain spend through August when purchase value is strongest.
Treat September as a time to sustain, not launch. With fewer shoppers actively looking and buying in September than in August, the month may be better suited to maintaining existing campaigns than launching new ones.
Adjust timing according to category. Different product categories saw demand build at different rates. Electronics, for example, benefited from an early surge in demand, while apparel performed more consistently when brands remained active throughout the season.
Use creator content to move quickly. Creator and UGC video ads can be produced and launched rapidly, allowing brands to respond to demand without months of lead time. This makes it easier to enter the market during the early-July window rather than missing the start of the season.
Methodology
The findings are based on Billo’s analysis of 79,347 creator video ads run on its platform between July and September 2025 across 15 product categories.
Return on ad spend (ROAS) is calculated as total purchase value divided by total ad spend. Engagement figures reflect an ad-weighted average of category-level click-through rates. The findings are based on actual platform performance data.
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