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Community Corner

Back to School 2011: Best School Supply Prices in Three Village

Patch breaks down which stores have the best prices in town.

Now that many of the school supply lists for the Three Village School District have been posted on the school website, parents will undoubtedly start flocking to local retailers. Patch has made your shopping easier by comparing prices at Target, Office Max, and Walmart, as well as BJ's for parents who are buying in bulk, and created a chart to show you where to go for particular deals on popular school supplies.

For 18 of the 25 items listed, the best price was found at Walmart – including the best deal per unit on multiple items packaged together.  Target comes in second with the lowest prices on ten items, some of which matched Walmart's prices. Though Target did not get the top spot for best prices, they have the best deals on the more expensive items on your list, such as lunch bags and backpacks.

The most expensive prices for supplies appear to be found at Office Max, where all Crayola products are more than twice the price than what can be found at Target or Walmart. Office Max sells fewer generic products besides the Office Max brand, which accounts for their higher prices. It helps if parents are buying in bulk though, as until August 20, there is a buy-two-get-one-free deal on Crayola products, spiral notebooks, heavy-duty binders, and Post-Its. The prices with asterisks next to them are also sales that will only last until August 20.

Find out what's happening in Three Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At Office Max school supplies are spread out across the store, whereas Target and Walmart have designated back-to-school sections.

Walmart stands out in that it offers to match any local competitor’s price, including buy-one-get-one-free deals with a specified price and preferred shopping card prices for a specific item. You must bring the printed ad with you to receive the lower price.

Find out what's happening in Three Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If you have more than one child, you may want to stop by BJ's to pick up a few necessities. Though BJ's has great deals on basics like index cards and pens, it lacks a lot of the specific items that your child may require, and thus cannot be used as one-stop shopping.

One particular item that parents of first graders at Arrowhead Elementary will need to purchase is a Mead brand K-2 Grade Stage 3 Primary Writing Journal, which can be found at Target and Walmart.

Please remember to consult the school district website for your child’s particular school supply list, and find out if you should label their supplies and what is not accepted in the classroom. Most teachers in the Three Village CSD request that rolling backpacks are not brought to school, as they are difficult to maneuver and create a safety hazard.

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