As national uproar spreads around teacher pay and educational funding, questions are also being raised around whether schools are increasingly underfunded for classroom supplies. Class supply lists continue to grow and are becoming more costly for families nationwide. DollarDays, a premier supplier of school supplies, recently released a report that up to 85% of supplies were being purchased outside of the traditional month of August, indicating more teachers and parents are making purchases throughout the year for items normally supported with tax dollars.
“The average class list costs parents more than $400 per year per child,” explains Shelly Chaney, Vice President and General Manager of DollarDays. “[W]here we used to see back to school as a seasonal event, we are now seeing individuals making purchases throughout the year, often to offset the needs in classrooms.” […]
When it comes to school supplies, DollarDays is one of the most popular back-to-school destinations [online]. [The company currently] offers over 75,000 [bulk] products sold at wholesale [or below-wholesale] prices. [A]fter 17 years in the industry, [DollarDays] truly [knows] how to source and support the products that ensure retailers keep high margins without being concerned with warehousing product.
“Stocking the shelves with school supplies is about finding the right mix of offerings,” says Chaney. “We can partner with retailers to determine the right category mix, select the correct packaging options and determine whether planograms are the right methodology for their space, all while offsetting costs. This level of partnership ensures our customers have the right solution to sell these products and meet the needs of their own customers.”
As more schools face economic challenges and many districts transition to year-round curriculums, it’s no doubt […] retailers will continue to see the back-to-school industry break out of the traditional seasonal time period. In fact, it may be just a matter of time before school supplies become routine items for any retailer’s product mix.
Original article here: https://independentretailer.com/2018/05/08/back-to-school-bucks-seasonal-trends-and-becomes-big-business/