Alberta parents highest spenders on back-to-school shopping

By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald

Alberta parents are among the highest spenders when it comes to back-to-school shopping.

A Scotiabank study says Albertans with children in preschool through Grade 12 are planning to spend an average of $338 to get their children ready for school. Alberta’s household spending intentions were behind Quebec ($399) but higher than the national average of $310.

However, Alberta leads the country in the amount parents expect to spend throughout the year on school-related incidentals from field trips to pizza lunches. Albertans anticipate spending $471 with the Canadian average at $406.

“Spending by Canadian households on school-related goods and services typically is more stable than other discretionary purchases in both good and not so good times,” said Aaron Gampel, Scotiabank’s deputy chief economist. “Although cost-conscious Canadian families will look to stretch their purchasing power, allocating hard-earned spending dollars on education takes on added importance during these challenging times.”

Read the full story here.