Back to School Shopping Reality Check
Sales tax free weekends, price slashing, crazy deals... The news is all over the board on what is happening with shoppers during this Back to School sales season.
The heat has people shopping/the heat makes people not want to buy school clothing/shoppers are waiting for deeper discounts/schools are starting earlier so sales are picking up earlier this year...
I'll tell you what the deal is. It's hot out. It's August 21st and I just spent several weeks at the beach where the mosquitoes tattooed every inch of my body and the heat index made sure to drip salty sweat into each and every bite. While I'm stocking up on After-Bite and searching for DDT, the aisles are stocked with reminders that my tow-headed, tanned beach-babies will soon be back to school. I'll be driving carpool, making lunches, and juggling work deadlines with volunteering for a million different committees at two different schools. No time to enjoy a memory or two of an amazing summer with my kids, I have to make sure they have NEW stuff. Forget the OLD stuff, it's time to buy, buy, buy!
It's all a bit stressful. So, excuse me if the thought of wearing long sleeves or jeans makes me want to vomit.
Crayons, markers, pencils, backpacks... there is a reason all of these things are selling better than your 40% off Abercrombie & Fitch plumber's crack jeans. It's a million degrees out, people!
A little therapy and a reality check for retailers will fix all of the forecasting issues. Quit shoving Halloween down my throat in July. You can't blame the economy that my kids won't be wearing long pants until October.
The good news for me is that by the time October rolls around retailers will have slashed prices three times over to make room for the ugly Christmas sweaters.
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