Many parents started back-to-school shopping earlier this year, fearing inflated prices resulting from the country’s evolving tariff policies and turbulent economic environment.

Coresight Research projects that spending on school supplies will increase 3.3% to $33 billion, while 68.8% of surveyed consumers confirmed that inflation will limit their spending on school supplies.

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A June PwC survey revealed that one in five shoppers plans to rely on AI tools to find the best deals. Further, 44% of surveyed consumers confirmed they would reduce their spending on technology, 40% on clothing, 30% on books, and 26% on other educational materials, writes Retail Dive.

Back-to-school shoppers are coming up with different strategies to save money amid high inflation rates, tariffs, and supply chain volatility. These include:

• Bulk discounts and special deals;
• Buying early;
• Turning to cheaper or private-label brands; and
• Reusing old school items from previous years.

Several large retailers have launched affordable back-to-school offerings, including Target. In June, Target  (TGT) announced it will “maintain last year’s price on must-have supplies,” offering more than 1,000 back-to-school items at under $5.

Now, the seventh-largest retailer in the United States and member of the S&P 500 is expanding its deals on school essentials, giving parents more options as they simultaneously battle high grocery prices.

Target launches a special back-to-school savings event. 

Image source: Shutterstock

Target launches another generous back-to-school offer

Target is launching its “Back-to-School-idays” savings event on July 27. The event, set to last until August 2, features discounts of up to 30% on basic school items, including backpacks and kids’ apparel.

The discounts are offered both in stores and online, and some of the deals include:

• 25% off select kids’ apparel, including tees, tanks, shorts, uniforms, activewear, leggings, and polos;
• 30% off select kids’ shoes;
• 30% off backpacks from All in Motion and Cat & Jack;
• 20% off select Bentgo and Thermos lunch items;
• 20% off Hanes socks and underwear; and
• Buy one, get one 25% off Bic and Pilot products with Target Circle.

Back-to-school shoppers can save on hundreds of school essentials and access special giveaways including shoelace kits, monogrammed bath wraps, and school-themed patches.

As previously announced, Target is keeping 2024 prices on its list of 20 must-have supplies (adding up to a total of less than $20) and last year’s top-selling $5 backpack. Among 1,000 items under $5 are $0.25 crayons and glue sticks and $2 water bottles.

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Additionally, Target is bringing back personalized stations across close to 500 locations. At these stations, customers can get customized school and dorm supplies from backpacks and lunchboxes to towels and pillows. Customization includes embroidery, patches, and more.

Other retailers offer similar discounts, but Target really needs to entice shoppers

In July, Walmart, one of Target’s biggest rivals, also announced special back-to-school discounts. Walmart’s offer includes the 14 most popular supplies at prices even lower than last year’s, with some of the most sought-after back-to-school essentials for just $0.25.

Related: Parents should be more worried about Mattel’s Barbie than ever

The special deals include everything needed for the first day of school, such as backpacks, outfits, supplies, and lunch for under $65.

Staples, one of the leading retailers in the workspace products sector, offering traditional office supplies, furniture, cleaning products, and technology, also confirmed generous offers for school supplies. It announced four weeks of freebies with any purchase in store or online.

Staples’ first freebie features Astrobright colored papers from July 20-26. Other school items cost just 25 cents, and there’s a 20% discount offer exclusively for teachers.

Meanwhile, Meijer’s back-to-school deal offers more than 25 school items for $1 or less.

While there’s no doubt that these are hard times for retailers, some face more challenges than others. 

Target, for example, lost a whole lot of customers this year, not because of inflation, but due to scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Its first-quarter earnings report showed that same-store sales dropped by 3.8% during the first three months of the year.