As Back-To-School Shopping Begins, Consumers May Turn Frugal

[Sherman A1]

As August begins, retailers are stepping up sales promotions to attract back-to-school shoppers. And several states are offering tax-free shopping to encourage purchases.

But most economists say this year's sales will be slower than last summer's because consumers have been coping with more expensive gasoline and higher payroll taxes.

"This year's back-to-school shopping season appears slightly weaker than last year," economist Chris Christopher, with IHS Global Insight, said of the retail period that ranks second only to the holiday shopping season.

To get consumers in the mood to shop, many retailers started back-to-school advertising and sale pricing weeks ago. The data aren't in yet to show the final impact of those early promotions on July sales.

http://www.npr.org/2013/08/01/205809594/as-back-to-school-shopping-begins-consumers-may-turn-frugal

[hobbit709]

1. Frugal as defined by having no money to spend.

all that outsourcing has even caught up with Walmart shoppers. No decent paying jobs=no money beyond the bare necessities, and even those at a minimal level.

[Sherman A1]

2. Precisely

Consumers are more than feeling the pinch. They are scrambling to cut costs any way they can in order to simply keep close to where they were last year or the year before.

[ejpoeta]

3. That is funny because I was just going through my school supply box and organizing it.

I just bought notebooks, folders, crayons etc. Went through the lists for the girls and seeing what I still need. I am cringing, frankly, as I get ready to buy bookbags, shoes and clothes. As much as I don't want to go to good will now that I am hearing what they pay their disabled workers, I will have to go there. And other 2nd hand stores as well. That will mitigate the costs, but considering the costs, wondering how much it will help. Going to the 2nd hand stores will require the gas to get to brockport and henrietta which brockport is 40 minutes away. I get so anxious this time of the year. Though I am lucky my kids don't complain about shopping at 2nd hand stores. They seem to enjoy it.

[liberal_at_heart]

4. Luckily my son still fits in last year's shirts. Pants and shoes, notebooks and pens will be the

only thing I will be purchasing. What sucks is that there are things you have to pay for when registering for school. Required planners, required PE clothes, required lab fees. These are all the things you have no choice but to pay for. Then there are all the optionals like yearbook, sports fees, PTA club membership fees.