Walk into almost any retail store and you’ll see reminders everywhere that it's almost time to send kids back to school.
Jillian Gaudet and her family are trying something new this year.
"I think I'm actually getting out here a little earlier than usual normally I think I leave it last minute," said Gaudet.
Experts say that may not be a bad idea if your hoping for the best selection of supplies.
"Back-to-school shopping, for us, is the second-busiest time of the year, right behind Christmas shopping," said Unicity Walmart manager Ryan Trubyk. "We're already seeing an uplift in our customer traffic through the stores. Lots of people looking to capitalize on the some of the great deals we have."
Walmart's biggest feature this week is 150 sheets of lined loose leaf for $0.10.
Superstore on Grant Avenue offers the same for 150 sheets, while, Target also on Grant Avenue had 100 sheets of loose leaf for $5.79.
But do deals like those mean a better bang for your buck?
CTV compared prices at three big box stores for the following basic school supplies.
- 10 pack pens
- 20 pack pencils
- 3 erasers
- 5 tab dividers
- 100 sheet looseleaf
- Large pencil case
- Plastic ruler
- 24 pack crayons
- 10 pack markers
- 1 glue stick
- Basic scissors
- 100 sheet graph paper
- 1 duo tang
- 1 zip binder
Of the 14 items on our list, Target rang up at $55.69, taxes included.
At Walmart, the same list of products come up to $35.51
And finally at Superstore, you may be able to buy all of these supplies for $35.05
Expert shoppers advise doing what Gaudet and her family are doing, shopping early to get the best selection and the best deals. And if you have time, experts say, shop around, buy in bulk or re-use items from last year to maximize your back-to-school budget.
