Sask. parents debate online back-to-school shopping

It’s the time of year that can hit hard on your heart, and your wallet.

Last minute back to school shopping is here and can easily test the last nerve of parents across the province.

“It’s overwhelming because there’s so much to buy with your school supply list,” Mommy blogger Tenille Lafontaine said. “Everybody is shopping and it feels like a giant scavenger hunt.”

For elementary school-aged kids, the bill often runs over $100 per child, leaving some to question whether there are cheaper options online.

One Regina store is using a pilot project to make the big shop more convenient for parents.

“The parent can just go onto our website, click on the package for their student for their grade, and then they get a bag with all the school supplies for that class for the year in it,” Staples Regina general manager Reg Stamina said.

Four schools took part in the pilot, with roughly 100 parents opting for a quick pickup.

A new Ebates survey found roughly two thirds of Canadian parents planned on doing at least some back to school shopping online. While some local stores have found ways to blend online with brick and mortar shopping, most parents we spoke to prefer to fill the carts themselves.

“There’s certain resources that are easier to shop for online. Being french immersion, it’s easier to find stuff at a better price online than it is here in Regina, although there’s some great opportunities and shops that are bringing in a lot of french stuff,” Regina teacher Tricia Wood noted. “Shopping online is great for prices, but it doesn’t always give you exactly what you’re looking for, either.

Lafontaine doesn’t plan on getting school supplies on line, but says she’ll use online ordering at grocery stores to get lunchtime staples like granola bars and deli meat.

In past school years, Wood has spent up to $200 of her own money on classroom items during the back-to-school blitz, but she says it’s worth it in the long run.

“If you run out of pencils or want extra duo tangs or have new students you want to include in something special you did at the beginning of the school year, everything is half price right now,” Wood added. “If you come in January, you’re paying twice the cost.”

Of course fees don’t end with binders and pencils.

“We still have to consider indoor runners, outdoor runners, school fees, activities, and of course, lunch money,” Lafontaine said.

Meaning parents and their wallets won’t get a break until school is well underway.