TEAYS VALLEY, WV (WOWK) — As students head back to school, parents have to factor in ways to get their children’s clothes for the school year ahead.
The National Retail Federation says this year, back-to-school shoppers are using “savings-focused” shopping behaviors because of the current state of the economy.
13 News went along with one family on a mission to put together a school wardrobe at their local Goodwill.
Summer Drake recently left her teaching job to become a stay-at-home mom. Like many parents, she is looking for deals wherever she can find them.
“It is important to save some money where I can,” Drake said. “You can get good quality products here. Our kids grow so fast that we just need them to be in affordable clothing.”
Drake came to Goodwill in Teays Valley, WV with a $100 budget to see just how many items she could buy.
“I have $50 for each kid and I think we are going to be ok with that,” Drake said.
Her children Reagan and Henson browsed the racks in the children’s section. Most of the items both kids picked out cost just over $3.
“You can come here and you can find anything,” Drake said. “Kids grow so fast that spending $50 for a t-shirt is not something we are interested in.”
Instead, she wants to get more options for less money.
“We found some shirts that are in great condition, long-sleeved for when it gets cooler,” Drake said. “We got some jeans with no stains or rips. They are in really great condition.”
With a cart filled with clothing, they weren’t sure if they were within their budget. By the time it was all added up they were under budget with a bill of just $82.53.
It left them with some wiggle room to go back for a few other items.
According to the National Retail Federation, this year parents looking to save are doing comparative shopping online, shopping for sales and using coupons.
35% of back-to-school shoppers said they plan to buy more store brand and generic products as well.