Ahhhh. One of my favorite times of the year. Back to school. Notebooks in every color, pens just waiting to let the ink run wild on a legal pad, new backpacks for throwing around. I will admit it: I am a total nerd for school supplies. I like to walk into Staples or Office Max or Target this time of year just to admire the neatly stacked binders; the endless rows of packaged pencils, calculators, paper clips — oh my! Just the SMELL of all things new and plastic takes me back to that butterflies-in-the-belly feeling of a new school year, new teachers, new subjects, new friends, new crushes approaching.

So when I read the endless articles about back-to-school shopping going down the drain for retailers this year, I have to say, a little piece of me dies inside. I have hope, and so do some mommy bloggers out there. The Parenting Group’s MomConnection asked moms about their spending habits in April. The results are very interesting, and I thought you could use them to approach your retail accounts (especially second-hand stores) with ideas for WHERE moms WILL be spending their BTS money this year.

BTS spending:
75% plan to use coupons
70% will stock up on school supplies when they’re on sale during the summer
48% are switching from brand-name items to store-brand or generic products
43% are using hand-me-downs instead of buying new clothing for kids
42% plan to have their kids re-use last year’s backpack

According to the survey, the majority of moms reported that their spending levels will remain steady compared to last year. BUT, they want more for their money.
The survey also found a bright spot among moms with children entering pre-K, kindergarten and first grade, who were much less likely to decrease spending on school-year shopping than moms of older children.

Top 5 areas moms have cut back least:
Housing 81%
Education 76%
Medical expenses 73%
Lessons for kids 68%
Childcare 62%

[Source: Sternberg, Cheryl. "Back to School 2009: A Teachable Moment." Engage:Moms. Aug. 12, 2009.]