UNITED STATESIt—seems as soon as school gets out, its back in session. While summer 2014 seems to fly past many of us, the retailers are already pulling out all the stops to make it apparent that the school season is right around the corner. You wanna know the scary part, its TRUE! I was recently at a big chain retailer and couldn’t believe the back to school supplies and college gear that was already stocked in stores. Wait a minute, its only July, what gives?
Well, it’s the perfect time to rake up on some stellar deals for school. We are all guilty of waiting till the last minute to purchase school supplies. In doing so, we find ourselves spending hundreds and in some cases thousands of dollars on items that we could have gotten for more than half-off. Most adults are barely thinking about school at the moment, and trust me I know toddlers, middle school, high school and college students aren’t even thinking about cracking the books.
Its summer and its time to play! So what gives with the retailers making it apparent to the consumers that school is back in season. Is it a way to generate more revenue? Or perhaps its some inside track to see what popular items will be on the list this season. Honestly, I have the slightest clue as to what is actually transpiring. I have noticed in the recent years that the back to school section has arrived earlier and earlier each year at many stores.
For most students, school doesn’t let out till late June, but guess what, I saw stores already reeling out back to school equipment in the second week of July, yeah July. At least wait till the first week of August, why remind kids that school is slowly approaching, give them a few weeks to enjoy before the chaos of cracking the books returns. I think it’s more of an aim to feel empty space that may be vacant at many retail chains. Remember things are seasonal, in the retail arena. The prices are never as ‘good’ as retailers project them to be to the consumer.
The biggest surprise that I’ve come to realize is to wait until the school season starts before buying supplies. Why you ask? Well at that point, most of the items have been grabbed up by parents and students in need. This means those pallets of school supplies sitting in the back room of most retailers must be eliminated. That is a phenomenal thing for retailers because you get to purchase items for little to nothing and you can purchase in bulk because let’s face it, notebooks don’t get old, neither do pens, pencils, crayons and other supplies that are needed year after year.
This same notion applies for college students. Being a freshman can be daunting because parents buy way more than is needed, but, if the item is at a discounted rate why not purchase two to three comforters, waste/laundry baskets and other amenities that are needed. Hello, these things will always be needed, so load up on them. If you have more than one child, and it’s a given he or she is heading to college, a portion of your shopping has already been completed, without breaking the bank.
When it comes to back to school items, don’t be the first to purchase items, and don’t be the last minute shopper. If you spot items on sale grab them when you can. I can almost guarantee if you purchase items that week before school is about to start, the prices will be at their peak. The retailer knows school supplies will be purchased, so why offer a discount? See my point!
