July 8, 2026
Photo courtesy of Staples
Are ‘Same Price as Last Year’ Pitches for BTS Season Good Enough for Staples and Dollar General Shoppers?
As the summer continues to drum up interest in a variety of retail arenas and opportunities, from the FIFA World Cup to vacation season, the back-to-school rush remains on the minds of many. And for two prominent retailers invested in the space, Staples and Dollar General, the primary pitch is simple — they’re looking to offer BTS shoppers the same, or similar, prices as last year.
But is the hope of holding prices steady as a primary pitch good enough to convince consumers?
For its part, Staples is pairing its commitment to holding the line on 2025 prices for back-to-school essentials with a throwback “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” ad campaign originating in 1996.
“We know the back to school season is one of the most important moments of the year for families and teachers, and this year, value matters more than ever,” said Marshall Warkentin, president of U.S. retail for Staples, via a recent press release.
“By holding 2025 prices on key essentials, offering hundreds of items under $10 and bringing back a nostalgic campaign, Staples is helping make the season easier, more affordable and a little more fun,” Warkentin added.
Dollar General is equally dialed in on affordability messaging, with its own press release mentioning savings, promotions, $1 items or less, and affordability constantly throughout the document.
“The back-to-school season can put pressure on household and classroom budgets, especially when everything is needed at once,” said Steve O’Brien, VP and division merchandise manager, in a press release. The press release also mentioned that 100% of the item’s in Dollar General’s BTS section were priced the same as they had been last summer.
“Our focus is on offering the essentials customers rely on at affordable prices, including a wide assortment of items at $1 or less, while also making shopping as easy as possible through quick in-store trips and fast, same-day delivery,” O’Brien continued.
Both Staples and Dollar General are also offering a variety of perks and promotions aimed at educators, from discounts and coupons to a DG sweepstakes where teachers might win a $250 gift card.
Dollar General offers 2025 back-to-school prices, teacher perks https://t.co/mLDNJSz6UV
— RPM Media (@RetailPrintMed) July 7, 2026
Staples and DG Play Could Help Lower-Income and Middle-Income Shoppers, With Other Retail Winners in Play
Reporter Dani James for Retail Dive also considered this approach being made by Staples and DG, citing JLL data which showed that back-to-school budgets had substantially increased for shoppers in 2026, up approximately 11.7% versus 2025’s figures to rest at $489 per child. That improvement was mostly backed by middle-income families this time around as well, signaling one point of difference from last year when the primary consumer group were those earning in excess of $150,000 annually.
James then cited commentary offered to the outlet by analyst and BTIG managing director Janine Stichter on the above data, with Stichter expanding remarks to include some insight into brands which may do well as a result of a shift back to middle-class spend around BTS.
“Another signal of consumer bifurcation, lower-income cohorts face outsized constraint. We see the growth in BTS budgets as a positive read for BTS-levered names like American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch,” Stichter said.
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Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
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Discussion Questions
Do you believe that this approach to marketing the 2026 BTS sales season will be effective for Staples and DG? Why or why not? What are the pros / cons?
What can be said about a return to strength in BTS budget driven by the middle-income cohort in terms of how it might affect other retailers in the space? And what about the continuing strain on lower-income households?
Do you agree that fashion brands tied to BTS sales season, such as AE and Abercrombie & Fitch, will see positive results tied to a more robust middle-income spend? What other opportunities are on the table?
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Back-to-school is an important selling season for many retailers, and I have little doubt that it will be an especially competitive one this year. Promotional messaging around savings and affordability will land well as consumers’ budgets remain tight. And while fashion brands will definitely play a major role in the BTS bonanza, a heightened promotional environment will undoubtedly put pressure on margins. As BTS store traffic begins to build, all retailers need to focus on converting those precious visits into sales, and especially during the peak of the season when conversion rates can sag when stores struggle to service all the hard-earned store visits they receive.
If the prices are, in fact same as last year, it would mean that they have been reduced and that is a good thing for the consumer.
“Same price as last year” is what a product retailer says when it has nothing else to say. Dollar General earns that message. Staples doesn’t, because its survival doesn’t depend on winning on commodity supplies.
The real BTS opportunity for Staples is the jobs families need done, not the items they need to buy. Printing, shipping, passport photos, tech setup for a new school year. Those are friction points Amazon cannot resolve with next-day delivery. Middle-income BTS budget recovery means families have room to spend on convenience. Staples is positioned to capture that if it leads with services. Nostalgic ad campaigns suggest it isn’t.
For consumers, “same as last year” pricing is welcome news. With rising pricing everywhere else, it’s actually a relief. It sends a strong message that Staples and Dollar General are looking out for their customers, not just the bottom line.
And just for the record, I’m a big fan of Staples’ “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” ad campaign. It makes me smile every single time.
With the economy rocky and inflation rising, any sale that promises “Same Price as Last Year” is a powerful statement. It doesn’t matter if it’s Back-to-School or anything else. Promise me milk, eggs, and meat are the same prices as last year, and I’m going there to shop.
I’ll add that if you use price incentives to get customers into your doors, take that as the opportunity to wow them with the value of a great customer service experience. That will help bring them back, regardless of a sale.
This messaging is good as a headline grabber, but what we see in our own data is a back-to-school customer that is shopping around and price comparing more than any time in the past ten years. In other words, unless the prices are actually competitive and the value justified, the headlines won’t translate into much.
I find it ironic that “same as last year” pricing is a not so subtle reminder of the inflationary times we are experiencing. So sure, customers will embrace that. What they’d really appreciate would be “pre-tariff” pricing, or “pre-covid” pricing, or……
“Same as last year” is a pretty low bar, and in normal times it would be ignored. Even in this time when inflation is eating up consumer discretionary income, I don’t see this headline doing much to bring in new shoppers or generate excitement about any retailer’s BTS 2026 strategy. Rather it feels a bit passive aggressive, “we’re not as bad as everyone else, shop here!” Not really a traffic driver in my opinion.
A stronger approach is a loss leader play. It’s a tired tactic, sure, but when consumers are stressed they’re more likely to respond to a handful of high-profile items at genuinely sharp prices than to a lukewarm “same as last year” on the whole basket. I believe most shoppers aren’t interested in seven stops to fill a backpack. Loss leaders get them excited about key items and let them evaluate the value prop for everything else once they’re in the aisle, as opposed to trying to attract the total basket with a lukewarm offer.
Dollar General’s version of this claim is stronger than Staples’, and not because its prices are lower. DG says 100% of its back-to-school section matches last summer’s prices. That can be tested in the aisle. Staples is holding 2025 prices on “key essentials,” a basket only Staples defines, so shoppers have to take it on faith. In a season where parents are comparing item by item, checkable beats vague.
Neither claim wins the sale by itself. Parents shop a list, not a notebook, and they judge the trip on completing the whole basket without a second stop. In stock, findable, and the shelf label agreeing with the app and the register. Get one reference item wrong, a glue stick or a basic notebook priced off, and the whole promise reads as advertising.
The test to watch: does Staples publish the actual list of frozen items? If it does, the claim becomes as checkable as DG’s and the campaign has teeth. If it stays vague through August, “same as last year” will have been a headline, not a pricing strategy.
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Back-to-school is an important selling season for many retailers, and I have little doubt that it will be an especially competitive one this year. Promotional messaging around savings and affordability will land well as consumers’ budgets remain tight. And while fashion brands will definitely play a major role in the BTS bonanza, a heightened promotional environment will undoubtedly put pressure on margins. As BTS store traffic begins to build, all retailers need to focus on converting those precious visits into sales, and especially during the peak of the season when conversion rates can sag when stores struggle to service all the hard-earned store visits they receive.
If the prices are, in fact same as last year, it would mean that they have been reduced and that is a good thing for the consumer.
“Same price as last year” is what a product retailer says when it has nothing else to say. Dollar General earns that message. Staples doesn’t, because its survival doesn’t depend on winning on commodity supplies.
The real BTS opportunity for Staples is the jobs families need done, not the items they need to buy. Printing, shipping, passport photos, tech setup for a new school year. Those are friction points Amazon cannot resolve with next-day delivery. Middle-income BTS budget recovery means families have room to spend on convenience. Staples is positioned to capture that if it leads with services. Nostalgic ad campaigns suggest it isn’t.
For consumers, “same as last year” pricing is welcome news. With rising pricing everywhere else, it’s actually a relief. It sends a strong message that Staples and Dollar General are looking out for their customers, not just the bottom line.
And just for the record, I’m a big fan of Staples’ “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” ad campaign. It makes me smile every single time.
With the economy rocky and inflation rising, any sale that promises “Same Price as Last Year” is a powerful statement. It doesn’t matter if it’s Back-to-School or anything else. Promise me milk, eggs, and meat are the same prices as last year, and I’m going there to shop.
I’ll add that if you use price incentives to get customers into your doors, take that as the opportunity to wow them with the value of a great customer service experience. That will help bring them back, regardless of a sale.
This messaging is good as a headline grabber, but what we see in our own data is a back-to-school customer that is shopping around and price comparing more than any time in the past ten years. In other words, unless the prices are actually competitive and the value justified, the headlines won’t translate into much.
I find it ironic that “same as last year” pricing is a not so subtle reminder of the inflationary times we are experiencing. So sure, customers will embrace that. What they’d really appreciate would be “pre-tariff” pricing, or “pre-covid” pricing, or……
“Same as last year” is a pretty low bar, and in normal times it would be ignored. Even in this time when inflation is eating up consumer discretionary income, I don’t see this headline doing much to bring in new shoppers or generate excitement about any retailer’s BTS 2026 strategy. Rather it feels a bit passive aggressive, “we’re not as bad as everyone else, shop here!” Not really a traffic driver in my opinion.
A stronger approach is a loss leader play. It’s a tired tactic, sure, but when consumers are stressed they’re more likely to respond to a handful of high-profile items at genuinely sharp prices than to a lukewarm “same as last year” on the whole basket. I believe most shoppers aren’t interested in seven stops to fill a backpack. Loss leaders get them excited about key items and let them evaluate the value prop for everything else once they’re in the aisle, as opposed to trying to attract the total basket with a lukewarm offer.
Dollar General’s version of this claim is stronger than Staples’, and not because its prices are lower. DG says 100% of its back-to-school section matches last summer’s prices. That can be tested in the aisle. Staples is holding 2025 prices on “key essentials,” a basket only Staples defines, so shoppers have to take it on faith. In a season where parents are comparing item by item, checkable beats vague.
Neither claim wins the sale by itself. Parents shop a list, not a notebook, and they judge the trip on completing the whole basket without a second stop. In stock, findable, and the shelf label agreeing with the app and the register. Get one reference item wrong, a glue stick or a basic notebook priced off, and the whole promise reads as advertising.
The test to watch: does Staples publish the actual list of frozen items? If it does, the claim becomes as checkable as DG’s and the campaign has teeth. If it stays vague through August, “same as last year” will have been a headline, not a pricing strategy.