Back to School Shopping

It’s that time of year again – the time of year when back-to-school catalogues start falling out of local papers and filling our mailboxes, not to mention filling the TV ad breaks. Many of the shops that offer school gear are having massive sales, with plenty of bargains on offer, which is good news for parents (especially given the credit card is probably already a little stretched following the silly season). The even better news is these sales - on clothing, stationery, technology and other back-to-school supplies - are also available online, and if you shop via CharityBuy each purchase raises funds for charity.

Of course, we love all of the 200+ stores who work with us to make CharityBuy possible by donating a percentage of sales, but here are just a few suggestions to assist with back-to-school needs:

Stationery

Smiggle is a relatively new addition to the CharityBuy site but fortunately for us they have joined in time for our shoppers to take advantage of their back-to-school sales; get some gorgeous stationery that the kids will love; and also raise funds for charity. They contribute 3% of what you spend and their stock is pretty great. Girls especially will love the fun, colourful stationery, books, bags and more. Treat the kids to some cool stationery and support a good cause at the same time.

Shoes, Clothes, Uniforms, Bags, Labels and Sportswear

The Clarks website is the place to go if your kids need new school shoes. They have been making shoes for kids for over a hundred years (literally) so they know how to make shoes that last. If you are worried about the shoes not fitting properly, they do have a fitting centre and offer free returns. Stubbies Schoolwear also offers free returns and a wide range of clothing for both boys and girls. They currently have a huge sale on so you can really save on polos, shorts, pants, skirts, jumpers, sportswear and more. Of course, for new socks and undies there is no beating Bonds on price and value, and Rebel has everything you will need for sport (including clothing, shoes, bags and equipment). Finally, Hippo Blue is a fantastic online store that sells all sorts of personalised products for kids. They specialise in printed name labels but also sell every type of bag you can imagine (personalised so they do not get lost) and also beautiful stationery.  All of these stores make a contribution of 5% for each sale (except Stubbies which offers 6%).

Books

There is a reason why Booktopia is one of our most popular retail partners and basically it comes down to them have a huge range at great prices. They also have regular clearance sales and fixed rate shipping which means you can order a whole heap of books and still pay only $6.95. For older kids and uni students, the Co-op Bookstore specialises in textbooks (alongside the usual online bookstore offering). Both retailers donate 5% of your order value.

Technology

We know how expensive BYOD and other technology purchases can be, so isn’t it good to know that these purchases can raise money for participating charities without it costing you anything extra. Indeed, Lenovo even offers special discounts for students and teachers, and they have tips on their website to assist parents in choosing the right device for their child. Microsoft has also partnered with CharityBuy, so if you are in the market for their great hardware and software products, these purchases will also help make a difference. Lenovo contributes 3% of the sales value and with Microsoft the contribution depends on what you buy.

All of the above/everything else

Big W is big on value and they have some really good prices on items every kid needs. They also price-match by keeping an eye on competitor websites to ensure they have the best offer available. Right now, they have sales on school uniforms and shoes; computer accessories; bags; lunch boxes and bottles; home technology and more. So, basically, most of what you need can be purchased directly from the Big W website (thus avoiding instore shopping with kids!). 

Good luck with the back-to-school shopping and all the best for a fantastic school year