4 Back-to-School Stocks You Don’t Want to Miss

A busy back-to-school year for retailers

• School is almost back in session and that can only mean one thing: back-to-school deals from all your kids’ (and soon-to-be college students’) favorite stores. It is also one of the busiest times of year for retailers. In fact, spending on back to school is set to top $68 billion in the U.S. this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

1. Amazon.com

• Amazon Prime should be a big hit this back-to-school season because Prime members can get free two-day shipping on an unlimited amount of orders

Convenience is key

A new way to shop back to school

Amazon rolled out a new way to shop for school supplies with Amazon School Lists. Teachers create searchable lists on Amazon.com using their school names and zip codes. Parents can then easily purchase what their kids will need.

2. Target

• The big-box store launched a “Made for U College Styler” that lets students shop for stuff for their dorm rooms from a smartphone or tablet.

Targeting college students

Target will be a hit with Millennials

• Target’s digital styler includes a college checklist with curated product suggestions

• Target also collaborated with Umbra to design small-space items

3. Wal-Mart

• Wal-Mart is another discount retailer that promises to be a hit with back-to-school shoppers thanks to its rollback prices and vast selection

Competitive pricing

Wal-Mart takes on AmazonSimilar to Amazon.com, Wal-Mart lets parents search its website for school lists. Wal-Mart also has slightly lower prices vs. Amazon on things like calculators, though Amazon’s Prime shipping gives it a slight edge over the big-box retailer.

4. Office Depot

• Office Depot and Office Max stores (the two are now one company) win for best prices on back-to-school essentials

The best bang for your buck

Penny and dollar deals steal the show

Cue the buying frenzy… Office Depot kicked off the back-to-school season with deals like $0.10 pocket folders, $0.25 permanent markers, and even pencils and rulers for $0.01. This should be a major draw for cash-strapped parents.

Foolish final thoughts

Each of these retailers is well positioned to dominate the back-to-school shopping season thanks to

competitive pricing and wide product selections. However, Amazon is best poised to take home the convenience award thanks to their online lists and

free two-day shipping for Prime members. Meanwhile, Target’s focus on college students and its style app make it the big-box store to beat this year.

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