Back-to-School Season a Lesson in Success

Going back to school never sounded so good to retailers.

The International Council of Shopping Centers is predicting that the Back-to-School season should be the strongest it has been in five years.

“Overall, we are projecting Back-to-School season sales to increase by a solid 5.4 percent from 2009, potentially the strongest showing since 2005,” said ICSC economist Michael Niemira, noting that Back-to-School sales in 2005 were up 6.4 percent.

Back-to-School sales cover clothing, shoes, electronics and books. Clothing is expected to show the strongest results, with a predicted 6.5 percent increase over last year’s sales results. Shoes shouldn’t be far behind, with a predicted 5 percent uptick.

Typically, the Back-to-School season begins in mid-July and runs through mid-September.—Deborah Belgum