C.O. parents shift some back-to-school shopping plans amid pandemic impacts

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Back to school shopping is looking a little different this year for parents across Central Oregon, like much of the nation.

With many schools in the region not having physical classes, consumer trends are shifting.

Electronics are now at the center of many families' budgets. In fact, a new survey by the National Retail Federation found that parents are planning to spend almost $800 on grade school students and over $1,000 on college students.

Bridget Bostrom, the owner of Hopscotch Kids in Bend, told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday that things are off to a bit of a different start.

“So backpacks we haven’t seen move that fast, of course, because school has been delayed, and online learning is going to be the new normal for the first six weeks," she said. "So we expect when that changes, hopefully, we're going to see an increase in back-to-school supplies."

However, Bostrom said that for a lot of parents, some seasonal product sales remain the same, such as new clothes for growing youngsters.

“I'm in a particular, unique situation," she said. "As kids still grow, they still need clothes and shoes, so with that, we’ve been busy.”