Any parent who’s experienced back-to-school shopping knows it can be an overwhelming task, considering the cost of supplies and the inconvenience of having to shop multiple retailers to check everything off the list.

Knowing there had to be a more efficient, affordable way to shop for those scissors, glue sticks, notebooks, and markers, in 2020, husband-and-wife team Brandon and Clare Richards were inspired to launch Impacks, a platform that offers packaged school supply kits tailored to each school and grade—and delivered right to the classroom.

With Brandon previously working for an office supply retailer and the couple volunteering with local school supply drives, “we witnessed how difficult it was for families to access the right supplies, and how often teachers were left to fill in the gaps,” says Clare. “The original idea behind Impacks was to simplify the back-to-school shopping experiences for parents while providing critical support for classrooms.”

The process is simple for schools and parents alike:

Schools are given a kit cost estimate for each grade, and a customized portal is created for each school. Parents can order their student’s kit online for an average of $60, well below the $140-per-student school supply estimate reported by the National Retail Federation. The kits are shipped directly to the school and are ready for students on the first day of class.

Today, St. Cloud-based Impacks’ core offerings are available to purchase nationwide across partner schools. The platform currently supports hundreds of schools in more than 20 states, totaling 48,000 kits sold and $100,000 in donations raised for schools since the company started. The Impacks team is just scratching the surface of the $7.4 billion U.S. school supply market and target customer base that includes more than 84,700 public and private schools serving 39 million students.   

“While the core mission has remained the same, Impacks has evolved significantly since its launch,” Brandon says. “What started as a hyperlocal pilot has grown into a national, multi-model platform.”

While school-specific supply kits remain the primary revenue driver for the company, Impacks also aims to revolutionize the outdated school supply drive model by partnering with businesses and nonprofits to facilitate online giving campaigns paired with in-person kitting events to engage donors and employees. Additionally, Impacks works with school districts and nonprofit organizations to help them source bulk school supplies at wholesale prices.

Next, the Impacks team is focused on launching its new direct-to-consumer product that will allow any parent to order a customized school supply kit, whether or not their school partners with Impacks. Clare says they are also working on solutions to diversify Impacks’ revenue model to create year-round cash flow opportunities, which has been one of the biggest challenges since launching.

“We’ve poured everything into this business, including selling our home to fund early operations,” Clare says. “Since 2020, Impacks has grown from a basement startup to one of the fastest-growing companies in the school supply sector. We’re committed not just to building a scalable company but to making back-to-school shopping easier while positively impacting classrooms across the country.”

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