Back-to-school shopping off to slow start

Some of the items that are available at Modern Office Supply with 30% discount. (Bea Cabrera)

The summer break is over for some in the Marianas as a number of private schools have resumed classes a week ago. Public School System schools will open their doors starting first week of September. Yet the typical back-to-school rush that comes with the start of classes appears to be off to a slow start, with many stores saying the shopping season for new school have not picked up yet.

Alice Legaspi, manager of National Office Supply on Beach Road, said that business right now is a tad slow compared to previous years. She cited two possible factors: the governmentwide austerity measures that are currently being implemented and parents may be waiting for the school supply list that will be provided by teachers.

“But we remain hopeful that it will pick up,” she added.

According to the U.S. National Retail Foundation, American families with children in Kindergarten through 12th grade expect to spend an average of nearly $700 on back-to-school shopping this year, spending an average of $117.49 on school supplies such as notebooks and bags.

Right now, National Office Supply is offering 30% discount on school and office supplies.

“We started the promo in July 24 and will last until Sept. 15 and we ask our customers to look for the white tags to avail of the discount. …We started early because [of] the schools that opened early and we also wanted to catch the people who haven’t had the chance to shop because they were off island during the summer,” she said.

She said their discounts are not only intended to promote sales but also to help the families that are experiencing the current austerity measures being implemented by the government.

“A lot of families are having a hard time and that is why we feel that we need to do something,” Legaspi said. “Aside from the big discounts, we accommodated parents who came to the store before the sale. Some of them actually came from Tinian and Rota. …We accommodated their request because these are special cases as they travel to Saipan just to shop and we appreciate that. …We adjust because our customers are important to us.”

Modern Office Supply in San Jose is also giving a 30% discount on school supplies with white tags, 10% on items with yellow tags and, according the accountant Wilma De Leon, they give 10% discount on items that are already on a sale, such as school bags, calculators, flash drives, to name a few. Promo is until Sept. 15, 2019.

“We do this back-to-school sale for the community, especially for the parents. …We are expecting more customers to come…in the coming days,” she said.

Mel Rebueno of Dandan was at Modern Office Supply yesterday with her daughters, who go to Southern High School. She said that, although classes will start on Sept. 3, they are checking off items from their shopping list this early. “It’s easier and less headache for me because I don’t have to rush at the last minute. We are just getting the basic stuff that they need because, when school starts, we will have another trip to the bookstore because each teacher has a list. I believe proper planning is key when it comes to buying school supplies and maximizing the ongoing sale,” she added.