NY Times: Back-to-School Shoppers Focus on Necessities

[marmar]

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. — It was the day before Libbie Palmer began school, and her mother, Becky, was taking her shopping for one last thing at the Aviation Mall here in the Adirondack foothills. “I realized I didn’t get her a pair of shoes,” Ms. Palmer said.

Libbie, 12, was comparing three pairs of marked-down J. C. Penney sneakers — she chose the $19.99 ones patterned with skulls — as her mother spoke of buying “a little bit less” than last year.

“The only thing we really look at is sales,” Libbie piped in.

Across the country, families say they have trimmed what little fat there was in their back-to-school budgets. The tightening has been an unexpected blow to many retailers, who had bet that consumers would be spending again and that the school season would be fuel for an industry turnaround.

Instead, sales figures have been disappointing and awkward scenes have been playing out at checkout counters, as parents and children tussle over wish lists, coupon items get substituted for full-price ones and necessities like underwear and socks take priority over graphic T-shirts and designer jeans. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/business/11shop.html?_r=1&hpw

[LWolf]

1. Meanwhile,

my incredible FAN coordinator has an entire room full of supplies she's gotten donated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals. She's not only supplying our teachers and students, she's sharing supplies with other schools.

We serve a low-income population. About 1/3 of our families were able to supply themselves this year. Our FAN program took care of the rest.