To buy or not to buy, that is the question with this year's back-to-school shopping

With questions remaining about how schools will operate in the fall, back-to-school shopping feels a little different this year.

“It’s hard to even get excited about it,” said Wynter Hisker of Greensburg during a July 24 trip to Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield. The 12-year-old is a student at Greensburg Salem Middle School.

“If school is going to be getting out of bed and going into the living room in your pajamas, I’m not going to buy too much — although she’s not happy about that,” said her mother, Amy Neurohr.

Mother and daughter are echoing the current national trend, as reported recently by Business Insider.

The business and financial news website points to studies by Deloitte that indicate purchasing of school supplies and college necessities looks to remain flat in 2020, with increased sales of technology products offset by a decrease in apparel and other categories.

“A lot of people are waiting right now to see what happens,” said Emily Parker, a salesperson at The Trendy Bunny in Greensburg. “They’re still doing more shopping for summer merchandise and vacation, like bathing suits. Everyone is sort of apprehensive and taking it day by day. It’s definitely not your normal year.”

A different year

“This year is very different from last year’s shopping,” said Julie Cramer of Latrobe, mother to eighth-grader Lucy, 13, and preschooler Max, 4. “We’ll do some shopping, probably mostly for supplies, and probably for a few clothes, just for the fun of it.”

The pandemic has taken the fun out of school shopping for Mandiesue Sylvester of Fayette City, mother of preschooler Samantha, 4.

“I’m trying to decide if it’s safe to send her back, so I’m trying to get some supplies for remote learning,” Sylvester said. “Usually I’d be out with my mom and daughter, trying on clothes, having lunch and making a day of it. Now I’m just doing it by myself.

“I’ll take things home for her to try on and return what doesn’t fit,” she said. “I don’t want to have to put her in a mask or put her at risk.”

The switch to remote learning in the spring turned out to be a money saver for Jamie Leber of Liberty, Allegheny County.

“We’re doing some shopping, just not as much,” Leber said of her twin daughters, Megan and Bree Romesburg, 13, who will be entering 10th grade in the South Allegheny School District. “Their book bags from last year are still good, and they have spring shoes that haven’t been on their feet yet.

“If they need more later, we’ll go out and shop some more,” she added.

Good time to shop

With school plans up in the air, now is still a good time to shop, said Ronnie and Jamie Stuart of Connellsville, parents to Jacob, 7, who attends Dunbar Township Elementary School, and Andrew Montijo, 18, a freshman at California University of Pennsylvania.

“We don’t know if Jacob will be going in person or not, but they still need clothes,” Jamie said.

“And everything is on sale right now,” Ronnie added.

One place that back-to-school shopping is boomin’ is the YWCA Thrift Shop in Greensburg, said director Diana Basick.

“(In mid-July) we did our restock with all our fall and winter merchandise, and we have been busy,” she said. “They have been buying on the assumption that the kids are going back (to the classroom).”

Both clothing and school supplies have been selling well, Basick said.

Essential supplies

Regardless of other items on the shopping list, one item every student needs, whether learning at home or in the classroom, is a mask.

Kids who will be in the classroom will need a steady supply, while virtual learners will need them when they do leave the house. Some experts recommend going to school with one to wear and a spare, in case the first one gets dirty or torn.

To make the prospect more appealing, parents can consider buying kid-sized masks in patterns that appeal to their child. One source is maskclub.com, which offers masks sized especially for children ages 4-12 in hundreds of colors, patterns and themes, including camouflage, superheroes and movie and cartoon characters.

Kids also help others by wearing MaskClub products: for every mask purchased, one is donated to First Responders Children’s Foundation for use by first responders and medical personnel.

And don’t forget the hand sanitizer.

Kids can have fun choosing decorated hand sanitizer mini-bottles and holders that clip to a backpack, available in themes and bright colors in big-box stores and online.