MILWAUKEE — For the kids headed back to the classroom soon, that trip to the store for school supplies may be more expensive.
The National Retail Federation(NRF) said back-to-school shopping is expected to reach record levels this year. According to their national survey, back-to-school spending could reach $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion in 2022.
In Milwaukee, Tiffany Callaway and her daughter went to the store Saturday night to find school supplies.
“They’re drastic from last year,” Tiffany said. “This year’s a little struggle because prices are higher for school supplies and schools demand certain things.”
While they bought things for Aniyah, they also purchased supplies for a backpack drive at their church. As they grabbed the essentials like notebooks, highlighters, and pens, they said everything was higher.
The NRF said families with children in elementary through high school are planning to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school items this year. That’s roughly $25 more than last year.
Some other families like Tia and Cooper Torhorst said they’re actually seeing similar prices as last year.
“We recycled a lot of stuff from last year. If you did your shopping in spring, you’re in good shape,” Tia explained. They said, if possible, to reuse as much as possible.
While the prices of supplies vary, the NRF said part of the rise in spending is because families need new supplies, and some of those supplies are bigger items, like laptops or calculators.
Ahead of the return to school, many community organizations are hosting backpack drives to help ease the financial burden for families.
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