Don’t let tariffs get you down: How to save on back-to-school shopping
As excerpted from The Baltimore Banner:
Kids grow fast and that becomes evident during back-to-school shopping season when parents have to replace pants that now land well above the ankle or shoes that are too tight.
But this year, parents are being a little more frugal as they replace too-small clothes along with pencils, crayons and folders crushed at the bottom of book bags decorated with cartoon characters that kids may or may not even like anymore.
“Those concerns surrounding inflation and the impact of tariffs are causing consumers to be a little bit more budget conscious,” said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. “That’s really what’s impacting some of this spending.”
Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs, which she characterized as effectively being additional sales taxes for consumers, were particularly ill-timed for families and back-to-school shopping. She said she’s spoken to several retailers who are raising their prices now because they can’t continue to eat costs. And many school supplies cost at least 20% more today than they did pre-pandemic.
“It’s not just that parents and families feel like prices are higher now,” Lierman said. “They actually are higher now.”
This year, parents and others who care for children are more likely to shop around for the best deals and break brand loyalty — bye, Crayola crayons; hello, Cra-Z-Art. And they’ll be digging for cheaper items at both big box retailers and secondhand stores. They’re also increasingly keeping just the basics in their carts, which they started filling earlier in the summer to take advantage of deals and spread out spending.
They can expect to say these things a lot more: “No,” “Put that back,” and “I don’t care if your friend got it, we’re sticking to the list.”
Maryland merchants aren’t bracing for any major spending declines, said Locklair, who represents big and small retailers across the state. Still, stores are offering deals or matching prices of competitors to reach parents who are getting pickier with their dollars.
Click here to read the full article from The Baltimore Banner.