EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Bargains are even more important to Oregon families when it comes to back-to-school shopping in a recession.
The Register-Guard in Eugene reports that consumers are expected to spend $55 billion this year on clothes, shoes, electronics and other gear for their students.
The average U.S. family will spend more than $600 to outfit their kindergartners through high-schoolers, up from about $550 last year.
According to a National Retail Federation survey, 17 percent of families with school-age children said all of their purchases were influenced by bargains and coupons, up from 14.7 percent last year.
