It’s Time To Go Back To School Shopping

SPOKANE — No it’s not your imagination. Advertisements for back to school sales are already popping up as the slumping economy has stores kicking off their annual school sales earlier than usual.

While some may cut back on new clothes purchases this fall, kids still need pens, paper and Pee Chees for their classroom work.

“We’ve had people in already, back to school shopping,” K-Mart store manager Jay Patterson said.

Patty Baer is one of those shoppers, taking her daughter Daria to shop for the upcoming school year. Part of their trip to the store is to pick up school supplies, but as young Daria checks out everything on the shelves it becomes an impromptu lesson in the difference between wants and needs as well.

Although school doesn’t start for more than a month for the Baer kids they were out with their mom trying to find the best deals on the stuff they need for school.

“Ran into this and saw the great prices and thought now’s the time to buy,” Patty Baer said.

Jay Patterson is hoping that more bargain hunters like Patty Baer and her family see their back to school sale.

“Weekly specials drive the customers into the store,” Patterson said. “Hopefully they’ll make one stop and it will be here.”

Despite the slumping economy Patterson ordered more school supplies this year.

“Kids have to have what they need in school and they are going to buy it,” Patterson said.

While Patty Baer went shopping early, she is hoping to buy her family less school supplies than last year, reusing last year’s backpack and lunch box instead of buying new ones for the new year.

Shopping for less school supplies has one other effect. The less they’re out on the road hunting for back to school bargains, the less gas they’ll burn getting those deals.

“It’s not a good deal if you have to spend ten bucks in gas to get it,” Patty Baer said.