Back to school, in clothing retail and other related sales, such as supplies, is a product season that goes from early July into early September to prepare students for the upcoming school year and is characterized by a display of items appropriate for school.

[edit] Back to school sale

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Many department stores, such as Target, Wal-Mart, and Kmart advertise back to school sales as a time when school supplies and children's and young adults' clothing goes on sale. Office supplies retail has become an important element of this season, especially with the rise of the prominence of personal computers and related equipment in education. Many states offer tax-free periods (usually about a week) at which time any school supplies and children's clothing purchased does not have sales tax added.

This period of time usually lasts from mid-August through early September, before the school year starts in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. In Australia and New Zealand, this usually occurs in January, while in Malaysia, this period lasts from late November to December.