With schools nationwide already open for the fall or just about to be, consumers who waited to buy their back-to-school items are finding bargains galore, USA Today reports.
Retailers large and small, aware of the tight economy and skittish shoppers, have been forced to “tweak the way they merchandise and market their back-to-school stuff,” the paper says.
“A dynamic shift that started at the holidays is becoming an important part of back-to-school shopping,” says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at researcher The NPD Group. “Retailers have (trained) consumers into purchasing later for big discounts. Now, the tough economy has brought that front and center.”