(CBS Detroit) — Back-to-school shopping season is upon us, and with inflation looming, families are doing everything they can to stock up on supplies for the start of the new school year.
“I don’t necessarily go to dollar stores or thrift stores because I know if I keep an eye on Facebook there are pages out there that are giving things to the community for free so kids can go back to school and I follow that,” parent Ecola Foshee said.
Foshee is just one of many parents in the area looking for back-to-school deals.
Back-to-school shopping sales are expected to exceed $39 billion this year, up from $26 billion in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation.
“Families with children in elementary through high school can expect to spend about $875 on average on clothing, shoes and school supplies,” said Katherine Cullen, vice president of industry and consumer insights at the National Retail Federation.
This year was the second highest on record, according to the NRF.
Experts say more shoppers are looking for bargains at a fraction of the cost as families choose to save money by reselling clothing stores.
“For example, our children’s clothes start at 50 cents. The most expensive are $10, the most are $12. Our prices are a third of the retail price,” said Melanie Williams, co-owner of Regeneration.
New inflation data showed consumer prices rose 2.9% last July, falling below 3% for the first time since 2021.
Thousands of families across metro Detroit are flocking to stores to complete their school supply lists, with school essentials like pens, pencils and paper costing the average American parent about $141, according to the NRF.
“For back-to-school and college shoppers, the most popular destination is online, followed by department stores and discount retailers,” Cullen said.
As the race for the White House continues, the American economy has become a hot topic.
Some retailers have increased prices, making the shopping season even more stressful for families on fixed incomes.
“This hurts poor people who are barely surviving. You go to the dollar store and something that used to be 99 cents is now 1.25 cents,” Foshee said.
A recent Credit Karma survey found that parents who identify as Gen Z or millennials are more likely to go into debt to buy school supplies.
Terrell Bailey