Inflation has caused a 28% price increase compared to last year on school supplies in the United States, according to the Average Cost of School Supplies Around the World report by WorldRemit.
Oleg Dudko/Dreamstime/TNS
PITTSBURGH — Jackie Kellogg and her two children went to Plato’s Closet, a secondhand store of gently used clothing, to find clothes for the school year.
She said she liked the “different styles and options for a better price” that the discount retailer offers, but that there was a more pragmatic reason she went.
“It’s mostly inflation influencing our decisions,” she said. “Prices for materials have raised significantly since last year. We plan on shopping discount and then going to bigger name stores.”
The number of people shopping second-hand has grown in recent years, in-person and online — out of preference for some, necessity for others.
Inflation has caused a 28% price increase compared to last year on school supplies in the United States, according to the Average Cost of School Supplies Around the World report by WorldRemit.
“Everything has increased in price,” said Angela Poli, of Ford City, as she waited for her 13-year-old daughter outside a dressing room Wednesday at a local Plato’s Closet. “Stores like this are definitely helpful.”
The National Retail Federation released its annual Back-to-Class shopping report last month, noting that the top shopping destinations for back-to-school season were online, department stores and discount stores.
The impact of price increases are being felt locally.
“We always come to Plato’s Closet first before we do any additional shopping,” said Poli. “It’s more affordable.”
Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania held its annual back-to-school sale Aug. 1, with all items marked 40% off.
David Tobiczyk, vice president of marketing and development for Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, said back-to-school season is Goodwill’s second busiest time of year, behind only the year-end holiday season.
“We know people come to Goodwill because they want to stretch their dollar,” said Tobiczyk.
For some, though, “thrifting” is just a hobby.
Desiree Deli and her daughter, who’s entering fifth grade, got into thrifting for “the thrill of the hunt.”
“We love to thrift shop,” Deli said. “We plan on hitting a couple different Plato’s stores today.”
The two were looking to find home decor and more “unique” items that one wouldn’t find at a department store.
Thriftique, a resale shop in Lawrenceville run by the National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh, college students come to their store looking for low-cost items to furnish their dorms and apartments such as desks and coffee tables, said Patricia Tsagasis, director of retail at Thriftique. The store also offers items such as clothing, kitchenware and other household furnishings.
Some big name clothing brands, recognizing the trend, have started resale programs of their own.
American Eagle partnered with ThredUP, an online consignment and thrift store, this year to create its own “second-hand shop.” The shop sells used and vintage items, according to an American Eagle press release, including denim, dresses, tops and more.
According to the National Retail Federation’s report, families will spend, on average, $890.97 on supplies and clothing items for the school year, or $25 more than last year. The report attributes the increase to “more demand for electronics.”
“In this environment, customers are clearly feeling cautious and making tradeoff decisions as they continue to deal with high inflation and low consumer confidence due to a number of factors,” said Corie Barry, chief executive officer of Best Buy, in a press release.
