The sprint to the end of the school year is underway. Students are working to finish assignments and prepare for exams while keeping one eye glued to the calendar: three weeks left; then one; summer! Most kids will be happy to close the books and not think about the upcoming school year for two months. But for retailers, now is the time to prepare for the back-to-school retail rush.
Back-to-school spending is second only to winter holiday spending. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), total combined spending for back-to-school and college reached approximately $68 billion in 2015. Although some consumers start earlier, most do their back-to-school shopping during July and August. Retailers have no time to lose.
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