Families struggling with back-to-school shopping in the Delaware Valley
Families struggle with back-to-school shopping in Delaware Valley 02:37
UPPER CHICHESTER, Pa. (CBS) — Families are rushing to stock up on school supplies ahead of the first day of school.
According to the National Retail Federation [NRF]This year, families with children in kindergarten through high school will spend $875 on school supplies like electronics, clothing and shoes, down from a record $890 last year.
Dante Sheppard said he works long hours as a landscaper to buy things he needs for his 8-year-old daughter, who attends Marcus Hook Elementary School.
“Prices are definitely going up,” Sheppard said, “but that’s because the dollar isn’t worth as much as it used to.”
Curtis Robinson, of Upper Chichester, has seven children, some of whom are returning to school on Monday, and he went to the Walmart in Boothwyn on Thursday to buy some essentials.
“It could get very expensive,” Robinson said.
Back-to-school spending is expected to reach $39 billion this year, according to the NRF.
Her grandmother, Donna Cimabue, is doing her best to help, saying she has purchased $154 worth of supplies to donate to families in need.
“I hope the kids will be happy,” Cimabue said, “and maybe even more so the parents who didn’t get what they needed for their kids.”
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Madeline Wright
