Parents open their wallets wide for back-to-school supplies

Ten-year-old Aaron Soto recites his mom's edict on buying school supplies as only a boy who has heard it a thousand times can: "If it's cheap, we can get it."

When he says this, it makes his mother, Soona Sota of Cape Girardeau, laugh out loud.

"See," she said. "He knows."

Soto states her case a bit more diplomatically. It's only prudent, she said, to be cost-conscious and practical when shopping for school supplies for four children.

"We're not picky," she said. "You can't be when you're buying for this many. It's only smart to look around and price things."

'It fills up fast'

Soto took three of her four children -- Aaron, 14-year-old Matt and 9-year-old Eric -- to Target one day last week to shop for school supplies. She watched as her shopping cart filled quickly with notebooks, crayons, markers and folders.

"It fills up fast and it would fill up faster if I let them get everything they wanted," she said.

With Cape Girardeau public schools starting Wednesday and Jackson schools starting Thursday, parents are hitting the stores en masse and opening their wallets wide.

According to the findings of a new National Retail Federation survey, families with school-age children will spend an average of $450 on back-to-school items, up from $441 last year. Spending for the back-to-school season will pump $14.1 billion into the economy.

Along with clothes, shoes and school supplies, almost half of consumers are planning to buy electronics or computer-related equipment as well. The average consumer expects to spend $206 on clothing, $84 on shoes, $74 on school supplies and $86 on electronics and computer equipment.

Some students have high-dollar tastes, too.

"We'll spend that, or more," said Trina Seyer, who was shopping last week with her 11-year-old son, Alex. "For him, if he wants a backpack, it has to be Eddie Bauer."

Seyer points out that they have an extra expense because Alex goes to St. Mary's, which requires uniforms.

"I have to pay off my student loans before he gets to college," she joked.

It's bad news for family budgets, but it's sure to provide a much needed boost to the slumping economy. Retailers hope that the back-to-school season will signal the beginning of an economic recovery, said NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin.

"The second half of 2003 is clearly poised for steady sales growth," she said.

Locally, retailers are also glad that back-to-school time is here.

"We've been in the back-to-school thing for two weeks," said Jen Cecich, who works in boys and girls clothes at Target in Cape Girardeau. "It's been extremely busy."

'Sales have been good'

Darren Neader, the assistant manager of Kmart in Cape Girardeau, said that back-to-school shopping is their second-biggest season, behind only Christmas.

"Sales have been good," he said last week, adding that sales are up over last year. "Clothing hasn't really taken off yet. But we also have a lot of folks who shop at the last minute."

College students shouldn't be forgotten, Neader said. Sales of futons, dorm-sized refrigerators and bean bags also are big sellers in the days leading up to classes starting again.

"It is a boost for us," Neader said. "It seems like it gets earlier every year. It's always a race with Kmart, Wal-Mart and Target to get set up first. If you get your merchandise out, people will shop earlier."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137