By Kate Stechschulte
It might be hard to believe, but the next school year is right around the corner and some parents are getting an early start on their shopping.
"Times are tough and you gotta get the deals when you can," said Liz Van Horn, a mother of two, who got an early start Saturday, shopping at Kohl's. Store manager Tim Madsan said the next couple of weeks will be crazy with customers taking advantage of sweet back to school deals.
"Twenty to 60 percent off on back to school apparrel, bonus buys, early morning specials on certain days," Madsan said.
Deals like this are happening all over, including JCPenney, which offers a doorbuster sale every Saturday until 1 p.m.
"If they spend $50, they get to save an additional $10," said Rachel Grekowicz, a sales manager at JCPenney.
This applies to all the latest must have-trends this season.
"Skinny jeans are a huge huge hit right now," Grekowicz said.
The back to school look isn't complete without the perfect hairstyle and the JCPenney hair salon has some deals that wont cut into your budget."
"For new clients, we have a 20 percent off incentive going to try to get the kids in here for their August haircuts," said JCPenney employee Lindsey Hollenback."
The school check list continues as customers head to Meijer, where more than 600 school supplies are on sale.
"Just got a great deal on the ruled paper," said shopper Debbie Miller.
Mejer also has price cuts on back to school lunch goodies, like meats, snack items and fruits
Deals like this ensure a little extra money in your pocket and a good start to the upcoming school year.
Managers of these stores say they've seen an increase of sales this year compared to past years, indicating a possible back-to-school boost for the economy.
