By George Anderson
WPXI 11, a local television station in Pittsburgh, went shopping for back-to-school supplies and found Target had lower prices than Wal-Mart, Staples, OfficeMax and Super Kmart.
The station's shopping list included five items: a notebook, animal-pictured folder, six-inch protractor, calculator and box of crayons. The items chosen were taken from a supply list provided by local schools.
Target's charge of $10.63 for the items was the lowest of any retailer involved in the WPXI report. Wal-Mart was next at $12.19 followed by Staples $13.60, OfficeMax $14.05 and Super Kmart $15.45.
Moderator's Comment: How important is back-to-school in determining consumer perception of a store's price competitiveness?
Consumers interviewed by WPXI for the report told the station, "Getting the best price is a top priority as when hunting for all the stuff kids need for school." [George Anderson - Moderator]