Why Do Sales on School Supplies Vary Regionally?

For those wondering why (and frustrated by the fact that) all these great back to school sales vary regionally, here’s the scoop.

During the weeks leading up to back-to-school, we can get some killer deals at stores like Office Max, Office Depot and Staples.

Each Sunday, I try to highlight the best deals – the so-called “loss leaders” – that make it worth your while to stop in to pick up some free or pennies on the dollars school supplies.

But on occasion, as many of you have noticed, you don’t have the same deals in your weekly ads that I do in mine (and therefore what you read on KOAB isn’t necessarily an exact match for what you have in your ad.)

I know this can be monumentally frustrating, which is why I always try to remind you to double check your sales circulars before heading out to the store.

But why, you might be wondering, does it seem that Kansas City is getting better deals that New York or Chicago or even St. Louis – which is just four hours away?

The reality is that we’re not getting “better” deals, we’re just getting them earlier – because the stores base their “best” sales around the date that school starts.

My city’s public school students head back this coming week, which means that our sales start – and FINISH – a few weeks earlier than those of you with late August/early September start dates.

Eventually all of us get the same deals, but they are timed to coincide with the first day of school, so some of you won’t be seeing them for another few weeks.

I wish these things could be more predictable (it would sure make my job easier), but rest assured, the penny pencils and free glue sticks will all be heading your way soon!