Prices Rise For Back-To-School Supplies

Anyone shopping for back-to-school supplies should prepare as prices have jumped significantly.

The National Retail Federation said total spending is expected to hit a record high this year.

The NRF said a survey showed more than half of kindergarten through 12th grade and college students have already started their back-to-school shopping.

“I looked at target online for some crayons and they happen to be almost 3 dollars and you know normally I've seen them normally just walking through the store for $.50 so it was kind of shocking," said Fort Worth mom, Maray Elliott.

Industry experts said part of the reason for the increased prices is -- when COVID shut down the country, it put the supply chain on hold and retailers are still trying to get back to normal.

“They're having to pay for air freight versus shipping cargo in order to get things here on time,” NRF Industry and Consumer Insights Senior Direction Katherine Cullen said. “And so those costs in terms of actually transporting goods, that that has been a major concern for many of the retailers we've talked to.”

The NRF said parents of K-12 graders are expected to spend just over $848 dollars per house household, including electronics. That's almost $60 more than last year.

Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach an all-time high of $37.1 billion, up from $33.9 billion last year.

Some parents say they plan to recycle supplies to help save money.