The shelves are stocked with pencils and pens and kids are trying on backpacks: back to school season is in full swing in the Valley.
According to an ABC30 SurveyUSA poll, nearly 70 percent of local parents started shopping for back to school items in early August. Marketing expert Dr. Bill Rice says retailers have pushed their supplies out earlier this season so it hits home.
Dr. Rice explained, "But if they get inside their head where they think target back to school right now or next week or so, they're going to think oh yah lets go to target."
Fresno mother Shelly Childers spent her Thursday finishing up back to school shopping for her two kids.
Childers said, "We bought most of the basics and so new binders and pencils and that kind of thing, but some of the teachers have special requirements when school starts so when they send the syllabus there's always a few things extra that you need to go out and get."
On average, Valley families say they're spending $50 to $100 on school supplies this school year.
Childers said, "We haven't spent a lot, we probably a few hundred dollars on school and backpacks."
On the clothing side, according to an ABC30 SurveyUSA poll, 40 percent of parents said they had planned to spend between $100 to $200-dollar, while nearly 20 percent said $200 to $300-dollars, and more than 20 percent said they would drop more than $300-dollars for new clothing. For Valley mother Charity Watts, she is spending more on clothing for her children.
"I would say this year we budgeted about 200 for each kid," Watts said. "That's everything, shoes socks, backpack."
With so many families in America taking part in the annual stock-a-thon of clothing and supplies, experts say the cost of going back to school is definitely adding up.
