A swath of major retailers is offering back-to-school shopping sales, relieving some financial burden placed on parents and guardians and teachers as the school year nears.
As inflation rapidly rises, reaching 9.1% in June, parents have reported cutting back in other areas to prioritize school supplies, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
This year, 42% of back-to-school shoppers are shopping for sales more often, up from 36% last year, according to NRF Senior Director of Industry and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen. Cullen told FOX Business that there is a similar trend for back-to-college shoppers.
DESPITE HIGH INFLATION, BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING PROJECTED TO HIT $37B
"We are seeing more interest in using sales events like those occurring the week of July 11th, including Prime Day, to shop specifically for back-to-school and college items," Cullen added.
However, the back-to-school shopping season is one of the biggest shopping events for retailers, second to the holiday shopping season, which means companies will try to lure in customers well beyond events like Prime Day.
Sales are ongoing, and some companies are getting even more creative in their discount offerings. For instance, Old Navy promised not to raise the price of jeans through September.
"Retailers recognize the importance of the back-to-class season and have been preparing for months to ensure shoppers can find the items they need at every price point," Cullen added.
BACK TO SCHOOL 2022: TAX-FREE SALES BY STATE
Here is a list of back-to-school sales. This list will be continuously updated.
The discount retailer already has over 100 back-to-school items that are priced at $1 or less. However, it is still offering a 30% back-to-school discount for teachers as well as DG Digital Coupons on supplies for all other shoppers.
DG Digital Coupons offer savings of $3 off any qualifying supply purchase of at least $15. This includes cleaning, office supplies and housewares for the college-bound students, according to the company.
The retailer will have a "denim price freeze" for all denim jeans through the end of September to help parents with back-to-school clothes shopping, according to Old Navy, which is owned by Gap Inc.
"Old Navy understands the financial pressures facing its customers and wants to ensure parents can outfit their kids for the new school year without additional budgetary concerns," the company said.
The company cited a recent back-to-school survey from Deloitte, which revealed that parents plan to spend $661 per child for back-to-school shopping this year, up 8% from 2021. According to the data, clothing and accessories are leading that increase, rising 18% more this year.
WHY IS INFLATION STILL SO HIGH, AND WHEN WILL IT START TO COOL?
Office Depot announced that its helping customers save with weekly back-to-school deals on "learning essentials." This includes 25% off most backpacks and up to 60% off Office Depot’s best-selling school supplies through Sept. 10.
Shoppers who are part of the Office Depot OfficeMax rewards program can also get 2% back in rewards on qualifying back-to-school purchases from supplies and furniture to technology.
Those shoppers are also privy to other promotions that are available to rewards members only. If shoppers sign up for a free membership in an Office Depot or OfficeMax store before Sept. 24, they can get 15% back in bonus rewards on a qualifying purchase.
"Staples is helping parents, students, and teachers save money this back-to-school season by offering an assortment of top-quality products and the best brands at season-long low prices," Marshall Warkentin, chief marketing and merchandising officer for Staples US, told FOX Business.
Staples issued a list of its top 22 deals for 2022 during the back-to-school season. Many deals are under $1, and some are starting at 35 cents, according to the company.
The company's weekly ads will showcase the retailer's deals, which are slated to last through Aug. 27.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
Staples also created a Classroom Rewards program "to alleviate the amount of money teachers spend out of their own pockets on school supplies for their classroom," according to Warkentin.
Through Sept. 24, shoppers can use the Staples Connect app to earn 10% back in Classroom Rewards on in-store purchases for a local teacher or school. At the same time, customers will also be able to earn up to 5% back in Staples Rewards for themselves, according to the company.
