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Back to school: How much is it costing you to equip your child?

Back to school: How much is it costing you to equip your child?

CTV News25-07-2025
Children across the country are heading back to school in about a month's time, and that means a guaranteed shopping frenzy for parents needing to equip their little (or not so little) ones with pens, books, lunch boxes and more.
That long list of school supplies, according to a recent study by the Retail Council of Canada, could total anywhere between $650 and $750 per child.
If that's the situation you find yourself in, the Council says there's only really one way to curb costs: start shopping now.
According to the study, parents who fill their carts (real or virtual) early have a better chance of finding items at low prices or on sale.
It also makes it easier to find some very specific objects (JCloth cleaning wipe, anyone?) that may be on the list.
'The price, finding bargains and spreading the cost over several months are definitely the main factors that come into play,' Francis Mailly, vice-president of public affairs at the Retail Council of Canada, tells Noovo Info.
The study also highlights the fact that parents are moving away from online shopping in favour of heading directly into stores, as we get further removed from the pandemic.
'We're seeing that 99 per cent of parents, which is the vast majority, plan to shop in stores,' said Mailly.
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