Wal-Mart Enrolling More Parents in “Back to School Saving: 101”

On the heels of its back to school savings announcement of more than 16,000 rollbacks, Wal-Mart is announcing additional plans to help parents save more with added communication efforts and shopping counsel.
  According to Wal-Mart research, one in three shoppers look for special values before heading to the store to purchase back to school items. As new values emerge again on back to school and back to college products, Wal-Mart is also making special efforts to help parents shop smarter, too.
  Better Back to School Savings, Course 1:
• Lesson 1: Look for Tax-free shopping holidays – Last summer, shoppers in Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in states with tax free events saved more than $18.5 million in sales taxes on eligible products for back to school. In addition to its new price execution on back to school savings, the retailer is making a special effort to remind parents when, where and what to shop for eligible tax free values through print, radio and in-store advertising, as well as on its “Value” page on www.livebetterindex.com. • States participating in tax-free shopping in 2007 include: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. (See the web site for eligibility details.)
  • Lesson 2: Listen to Your Teachers – Also this year Wal-Mart is partnering with Crayola to host teacher consultants in approximately 1,800 of its stores on August 4 and in a few select stores August 5 to provide experienced advice to parents find the best school supplies. These local teachers will be available to help parents make smart buying decisions to better prepare their child for a successful school year. Stores hosting teacher consultants can also be found through www.livebetterindex.com.
  • Lesson 3: Look for Convenience AND Value – Because more than half of shoppers delay shopping until they have a required supply list, Wal-Mart stores will conveniently carry the supply lists for most local schools in their store community. As parents also need to save time and money with one-stop shopping, Wal-Mart aggressively cut prices on items throughout its stores in July. Among more than 16,000 rollbacks, individual savings in stationary, apparel and electronics can help parents stretch their dollars. For example:
• $1 – buys 4 wide ruled notebooks, 2 bottles Elmer’s glue (4 oz.) and a 24-pack of crayons
• $1.98 – buys a 12.25 box of Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
• $5 – buys a new backpack or 4 packs of Lunchables Basics
• $50 – buys a week’s worth of school clothes (shorts at $5 each and shirts 2 for $9)
• $80 – buys two pair of prescription glasses at the Wal-Mart Vision Center