Earlier this week, I attended a Back-to-School event that was hosted by Staples. My family already does a lot of shopping at Staples both for my kids and my (teacher) husband, so it was fun to hear about some of the 2013 Back-to-School supply trends. I also learned a bit more about some of Staples’ savings and charitable programs over lunch. At the end of the event, I briefly met Nick Cannon who had stopped by to promote his line of NCredible headphones that are available at Staples. Below is a short video that I took of a Staples rep sharing about various back-to-school trends. It is followed by my top 7 takeaways from the event. Enjoy!
Top Takeaways
1. Martha Stewart makes back-to-school season saner for moms. A couple of her offerings include clothing labels and cute message boards.
2. Nick Cannon’s NCredible headphones are cool. They are great options for older kids (and moms!) who are working on their computers.
3. There are so many fun new school supplies available. Neon colors, twinkling supplies, customizable notebooks and composition books, flexible calculators and plush animal pencil holders are just a few options.
4. There are various Staples Rewards Programs. Rewards Club members get 5% back in rewards in-store and online. In addition, teachers get an extra 5% back in rewards on teaching and art supplies. This year, Staples has also started a new program for rewards members who are teachers and parents…Reward A Classroom. With this program, parents get to give an extra 2% in rewards back to the teacher of their choice. (This is in addition to the 5% that parents personally get back in rewards anyway.)
5. There are a lot of savings going on at Staples. There is a $10 Back-to-School Savings Pass that you can purchase until August 31st. It provides a 15 percent discount on supplies through September 21st…even on already discounted items. Also, be sure to check the Weekly Deals on the Staples Back-to-School site. There are different penny deals each week! (For instance, pens, erasers and index cards are 1cent this week.)
6. Staples has some terrific tech options.
They now have Chromebooks and touch screen laptops for sale in their stores. (Currently, Staples is offering Microsoft Office 365 University – normally $79.99 – for free with the purchase of certain touch screen laptops. Staples also has tech and wi-fi optimization services for homes.7. From June 30 to September 28, Staples for Students is back for the sixth year. Teaming up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and teen actor Jake T. Austin, the annual Staples for Students national school supply drive raises money to help kids get necessary school supplies. Staples customers can donate $1 or more at any Staples store and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit local students. (Each Staples store is matched with a local Boys & Girls Club that receives the donation to benefit club members.) Staples has also donated an additional $125,000 worth of school supplies to the program this year.
{Thanks to Staples for the information and the gift bag filled with Back-to-School goodies. All images (except for the top post one) are courtesy of Staples.}