Coupons/ Rebates/ Pricing

NEW YORK — Inflation-related concerns will prompt back-to-school shoppers to utilize certain shopping tactics, including smartphone and social network use, to save this year.

If consumers can be trusted to accurately describe their spending intentions well in advance of when they actually incur expenses then this year’s back-to-school season will be weaker than last year’s. The National Retail Federation’s annual BTS survey got a lot of attention when it was released last week because consumer data compiled by the trade group forecast a decline in spending.

Chicago-based General Growth Properties is kicking off back-to-school shopping with two promotional programs – Shop til You Rock and Family Recess.

Shop Til You Rock, a music-inspired mall tour that empowers teens to look and feel like rock stars, is back for its second year. Teens are invited to watch live performances by some of today’s hottest bands, participate in exclusive activities and take advantage of special mall offers, prizes and sweepstakes, including a chance to win valuable shopping sprees and a gaming system.

PLANO, Texas — JCPenney announced that it is launching a new philanthropic initiative that invites customers in over 1,100 stores to turn small change into “pennies from heaven” by rounding up their purchases and donating the difference to afterschool programs. Serving as the company’s signature cause-related event, pennies from heaven will be held four times a year starting July 31 through Aug. 27 during the Back-to-School season.

McKinney, Texas -- Blockbuster announced that it has assumed contracts with property owners nationwide and will maintain operations of more than 1,500 U.S. Blockbuster stores that would have closed under liquidation, as approved in a New York bankruptcy court this week. The chain also will retain more than 15,000 store employees.

WASHINGTON — NRF reported that total back-to-school spending on grades K to 12 is expected to reach $22.8 billion. According to NRF’s 2011 Back-to-School survey conducted by BIGresearch, families with children in grades K to 12 will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, within a few dollars of last year’s $606.40 average. 

Washington, D.C. – Back-to-school sales are expected to be flat this coming season, according to the 2011 Back-to-School survey, issued Thursday by the National Retail Federation and conducted by BIGresearch. The study showed that families with children in grades K-12 will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, a few dollars short of last year’s $606.40 average.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion unveiled Wednesday six new stores in the Greenville, S.C., area market.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart announced that as part of its back-to-school campaign it would offer college students and their parents the ability to reserve purchases by making four payments throughout the summer and allowing students to pick up items at a Kmart store near their campus.

The promotion is part of the retailer's "Epic Year, Epic You!" campaign seeks to meet customers' evolving BTS needs.

LOS ANGELES — Back-to-school budgets will moderately decrease this year, but more consumers will turn to the Internet to score the best deals.

According to a survey conducted by PriceGrabber, 48% of shoppers said they plan to spend $250 or more on back-to-school purchases, while 25% will spend $500 or more. This compared with 2010, when 56% of consumers indicated that they would spend $250 or more, while 31% planned to spend $500 or more.