Parents hunt for deals as inflation expected to impact school supply prices
A recent survey from the Retail Council of Canada says many parents expect to pay more for school supplies this year.
As a result, some parents said they went out early in the summer hoping to find deals, while also relying on hand-me-downs.
"Especially with COVID being over, we have gym class again where they need to change runners, so I have three sets of runners I now need to buy," said Michelle Anderson, who has kids going into grades two, four and six.
She said she has already noticed the price of food to feed her kids has gone up, but now she is feeling the pinch on school supplies.
"I need two binders and I'm spending $40 on two binders. Wow!"
The survey said a third of respondents expect to spend more on school supplies than last year. Statistics Canada lists recreation, education and reading costs as one of the nine categories of items which contribute to high inflation rate.
"I'm always worried about money, and whatever the inflation number is, I'm that percentage more worried about money, and children are expensive," said one parent who talked with CTV News Winnipeg.
It's not just parents who are paying more - so are retailers.
"We've noticed almost every supplier has had minimal increases to, you know, quite substantial ones in some cases," said Janeen Junson, the owner of Artists Emporium.
Artists Emporium sells art supplies to schools, parents and students. In anticipation of cost hikes, the company bought a lot of items in bulk from last year's stock at last year's cheaper prices.
"We have (these sketch books) on sale for $9.99. Once that is gone from last year, the new shipment has come in and they’re $11.99. They're still on sale, but they're $11.99."
Meanwhile, Anderson is hoping to rely on hand-me-downs to save money, but she knows there's always something growing in the house, whether it be inflation or not.
"They aren't stopping growing, and we're getting close in size as well with the older two," said Anderson.
The Retail Council of Canada found that clothing was the number one item for back to school spending.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.