"It continues to be a challenging year for all retailers," said Quinton Crenshaw, a JCPenney spokesman. "While consumers are still quite discretionary with their spending, we are seeing a great response to the newness and innovation in our assortments ... as well as a great reaction to our promotional prices."
Sears and Kmart are offering layaway to give shoppers more time to pay for back-to-school items. K-Mart has brought back the blue light special, where a blue light flashes with different deals throughout the day. Sears has created a Facebook page, which includes a feature where students can decorate a dorm.
"So far we've seen a positive customer response and hope that will continue throughout the season," said Tom Aiello, a spokesman for Sears Holding Co., which owns Sears and Kmart. Aiello acknowledged, however, that the environment is tough for all retailers.
Parents had already started shopping for their kids Thursday at the JC Penney at the Mall in Columbia.
Jill Hack was buying a new school wardrobe for her daughter, Lexi, who has grown a lot this summer. "I came back from camp and my whole body had changed," said 9-year-old Lexi, who is going into fifth grade.
The Hack family has definitely felt the impact of the economy. Jill Hack said her husband lost his job this year, although he eventually found another one. She started to work two jobs to help the family catch up on bills from when he was out of work.
Hack said she is not limiting her kids' spending (she also has a son) too much, but said that she is being more cautious, hitting as many sales as she can.
Rose Hogue was buying school clothes for her granddaughter Kaya, who is 11 and going into the sixth grade. Kaya's mom recently lost her job, so Grandma has had to help out. Rose Hogue said she'll spend a couple of hundred dollars less on Kaya's school clothes than last year. And the clothes she buys will have to last the whole year.
"I'm definitely doing less this year," said Hogue, who lives in Silver Spring but was shopping at JCPenney in Columbia. "We have a budget to stick to."
