Back to school shopping Articles

Back-to-School Shopping: Consumers Get a 'C' for Careful Spending

9:30AM 8/27/2011

Even before Hurricane Irene interrupted back-to-school shopping, the nation was cautious about spending for the new semester. A teetering economy is affecting the purchasing choices of 75% of families with school-age children, and 70% say they plan to spend the same or less as last year.

Smartphones Give Back-to-School Shoppers the Upper Hand

8:45AM 8/02/2011

By Dawn Kawamoto, The Motley Fool

Best Buy

Back-to-school season is the second most lucrative period of the year for the nation's retailers, behind only the winter holidays. But this year, shoppers are armed to save as never before, with smartphones outfitted with price-comparison apps. Here are some ways retailers are responding.

Back-to-School Backpacks to Ease the Load -- and the Budget

12:00PM 7/25/2011

By Ron Dicker

Retail, Family Money

The backpack is the key piece of gear as your kids return to school this fall. What they want is something cool that holds everything; what you want is something durable that's within your budget. The good news: Both of you can get what you want.

Consumers Take Break from Shopping in October

7:44AM 11/03/2010

By Hugh Collins

Company News, Technology, Economy, Retail

U.S. consumers put shopping on hold in October following the back-to-school season. MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, a data service, showed year-on-year declines in spending on items including flat-panel TVs and major appliances, The Associated Press reported. The lull may continue until the...

How to find the best soccer deal for your kids

4:00PM 9/02/2010

By Ann Brenoff

Family Money

Forget back-to-school shopping. While last year's lunchboxes and backpacks likely can stretch into another season, soccer shoes tend to last just the one. And so we dutifully made the annual pilgrimage to the Big Three of soccer supplies: Big Five, Sports Authority and Sports Chalet. What did we...

August Retail Sales: Expect a Mixed Bag

12:01AM 9/01/2010

By Mercedes Cardona

Economy, Retail

Despite the searing weather and a lukewarm economic recovery, major merchants are expected to report growing retail sales in their August tallies on Thursday. But don't count on the kind of increases we saw at the beginning of the year.

Will Back-to-School Sales Make the Grade?

11:35AM 8/26/2010

By Bruce Kennedy

Economy, Retail

As shoppers head to back-to-school sales early this year, the retail industry is watching their behavior closely for hints about the coming holiday season. So far, the signals appear mixed, with analysts disagreeing about whether revenue is up or down.

Business News You Need Today: Aug. 26, 2010

5:50AM 8/26/2010

By David Schepp

Energy, Company News, Technology, Economy, Media, Apple, AT&T, Verizon, News Corp, Credit, Autos, Careers, Retail, BP, Video

Here's news from the business world and other money matters to watch out for Thursday (last updated at 7:30 a.m. Eastern time): Americans Owe Less Credit-Card Debt: Skittish consumers reduced their credit-card indebtedness sharply in the second quarter, credit-rating company TransUnion reported...

Don't buy this, buy that: Saving big on back-to-school 2010 purchases

9:00AM 8/13/2010

By Ron Dicker

Retail, Economizer, Saving Money

As back to school shopping heads for the home stretch, this frugal father of a boy in pre-K and girl in second grade wanted to alert you to a few larger-ticket items that you might be overspending on, and provide you with some money-saving alternatives. Backpacks Buy this: Camo and Pink Camo...

Back-to-school 2010 cool list: 10 must-have chic dorm furnishing bargains

7:00AM 8/03/2010

By Abigail Wise

college finance, Economizer

Back to school shopping adds up, especially when trying to make a dorm room feel as homey as possible. By taking advantage of every inch of room and staying organized (and of course caffeinated), your school year will surely start on the right foot. Use the following ten deals to cut back on...