Back-to-school shoppers hunt for deals at Mall of America

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. —With school resuming in a few weeks, back-to-school shopping is kicking into high gear.

For parents, inflation and rising costs continue to impact purchasing decisions. Minnesotans are doing their best to save money while still letting their kids get some of their wants.

“You’ve got two pairs of jeans and a sweater from Hollister,” said Sydney Bethel, a rising college sophomore from Shakopee. 

Bethel is showing us her finds as she shops with her grandma Julie at Mall of America.

Julie has been spoiling Sydney and her three other grandkids since they were in preschool. It’s an annual ritual that’s become more costly. We asked Julie about the size of the increase.

“Well, not a lot. Papa’s probably going to see this later (laughs)!” Julie said.

A Mall of America survey found 47% of back-to-school shoppers said they expect to spend the same amount of money this year, compared to last year. Thirty percent said they plan to spend more this year and 22% are set to spend less.

“Shoppers are looking to save a little bit this year, especially with the fluctuating economic climate that we’re seeing. People really want to stretch their dollar,” said Laura Utecht, communications director at Mall of America.

“(We’re) being very financially conscious of what we’re getting and making sure that what we get is going to last,” said Christian Fraser of Duluth.  

Fraser and his wife Hanna brought their kids to MOA for the first time.

“Considering all the prices, like we knew what we were getting ourselves into, but and I’m pretty frugal as it is (laughs)!” Hanna Durfee said.

That said, even the savviest shoppers have those things they’ll indulge on for their kids. It’s often because they have fond memories of their special back-to-school purchases.

“It was around the time of like Disney’s (“Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century”), and I got this like really cool metallic vest (laughs), and that was my jam,” Durfee said.

While back-to-school shopping brings nostalgia for parents and excitement for kids, it’s also a pain point today for many families.

“More than half of the parents in our study told us they’re making personal sacrifices to afford their kids’ school expenses. And then about 40% said they were going to postpone some of their purchases or just skip them altogether due to cost concerns,” said Corie Wagner, senior editor of industry research at Savings.com. 

Wagner says those families are turning to other family members and community organizations for help to get what they need for their kids.

For grandma Julie, it isn’t about how much she buys for her grandkids, but the time together making priceless memories.

“Something I truly, truly enjoy and I will miss it terribly when they’re all out of college,” she said.

In Mall of America’s survey, a majority of shoppers identified themselves as “Savvy Savers,” focused on bargain hunting and stretching their dollars.

The next largest group was “Nostalgic Shoppers” at 27%. “Trendsetters” came in third.