Experts say if your list of purchases includes some high tech gadgets, you may find some of the best deals of the year.
There are plenty of summer days still ahead, but retailers are already eyeing the fall return to classrooms and to campus.
While the bulk of back-to-school dollars will go towards new clothes and accessories, a survey finds more than half of families will buy electronics, ringing up about $8.4 billion in sales.
"Spending on tablets and smartphones is more synonymous with back-to-school than ever before. Parents want to make sure that their children have the smartphones and tablets they need for the upcoming school year, perhaps because they know that keeps children off of their devices." said Kathy Grannis with the Nation Retail Federation.
The biggest chunk of a household's back-to-college budget, electronic devices.
The National Retail Federation found overall back-to-school and back-to-college spending is expected to drop versus last year, as consumers weigh spending decisions more carefully. With that in mind, retailers may price accordingly.
"Many retailers will actually offer great promotions on tablets this year, and for parents that are looking for a good deal, this is a great time to invest in those types of devices, maybe along the lines of deals we see during the Christmas season," Grannis said.
Two-thirds of shoppers will hit discount retailers for their purchases, but nearly four-in-ten will do shopping through online and mobile channels.
