美国国家公共电台 NPR--Binders, backpacks... and inflation are on this year's back-to-school shopping list

Binders¹, backpacks... and inflation are on this year's back-to-school shopping list

Transcript²

Back-to-school shopping for her three children, Stephanie Maddox recently picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer and noticed it was more expensive than she remembered. Then, she looked at binders, finding fewer options, all with higher price tags.

"My budget is bigger this year ... but it seems like it doesn't matter much," says Maddox, from Alabama. Deals feel less like deals, she says, and more like normal prices she used to see.

That is exactly how inflation works: spending more but not getting more. After months of worrying about the pandemic, shoppers now say higher prices are their top concern — right as back-to-school season began.

Spending on school clothes and supplies this year is on track to match last year's record of $37 billion, according to the National Retail³ Federation⁴. The group estimates that families with school children will spend an average of $864, or $15 more than last year.

Inflation being at a 40-year high is a key driver of this year's near-record spending, says Keisha Virtue⁵, senior retail research analyst⁶ at JLL who surveyed back-to-school shoppers. Almost half the parents in JLL's survey said they expected to buy fewer products this year, planning to focus on necessities — because of inflation.

The NRF's survey also found more families saying they plan to skip travel or dip into savings⁷ to pay for back-to-school supplies. More parents than before said they plan to reuse supplies they already have.

Generally speaking, American shoppers are still spending a lot on back-to-school supplies — certainly more than before the pandemic. Broadly, wages have been rising, unemployment remains⁸ low, people's savings levels are relatively⁹ healthy. But financial anxiety is now a common part of the experience.

"I just feel for the first time maybe in my entire experience of being a mom, that I'm pausing on buying kind of more basic things that I used to not even think twice about," says Mary Rynsburger, a teacher from Michigan who has triplets going to 10th grade and another daughter starting senior year.

When it comes to food, hardest-hit by inflation, she still get her usual fare, but might skip things that no longer seem worth it, like soft drinks or chips. "I just don't think I'll enjoy those Doritos, knowing they cost more," she says, with a laugh.

Brands and retailers¹⁰ say they have noticed people begin to change how they shop: more likely to choose store brands or wait out deals. Walmart — the top U.S. destination for back-to-school shopping — says it has had to keep lowering prices for clothes and other non-necessities to get people beyond the food aisles¹¹.

In interviews, parents say they're looking forward the normal routines of the school year, eager to leave pandemic-era virtual school in the rear view mirror. But of course, that also means budgeting for the extras that entails¹² — long after back-to-school shopping is done.

"It'll be fees for costumes, fees for musical instruments, field trips — none of these things would have existed last year," says Katya Banta from Texas, whose children start 4th and 9th grade. "So, yes, this year I'm expecting to pay more. But I'm also back to work, we were working as many hours as we can work — that's going to balance out as well, so I'm hopeful that it will be ok."

1 binders   

n.（司机行话）刹车器；（书籍的）装订机( binder的名词复数 )；（购买不动产时包括预付订金在内的）保证书；割捆机；活页封面

参考例句：

• Propellant binders based on these materials have excellent mechanical properties and good performance. 用这些材料制成的推进粘结剂的工作性能很好，而机械性能则更为突出。 来自辞典例句
• The and inferior binders fabrication process has become much more important. 黏合剂制作工艺优劣显得更加重要。 来自互联网

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

5 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

10 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

11 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

12 entails   

使…成为必要( entail的第三人称单数 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需

参考例句：

• The job entails a lot of hard work. 这工作需要十分艰苦的努力。
• This job entails a lot of hard work. 这项工作需要十分努力。