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Good things may come to those who wait, at least that's what a lot of back-to-school shoppers think this year.
More families and students are waiting till the last minute to purchase their school supplies and necessities as they hunt for deals, a recent survey found.
On average, consumers had completed 51% of their back-to-school shopping by early August, compared with 53% at the same time last year, showed recent data from National Retail Federation (NRF).
It's not uncommon for shoppers to pick up their last items a week or two before school starts—48% of college shoppers and 50% of K-12 shoppers surveyed expected to do that—while only 10% of those surveyed said they had finished their back-to-school shopping at the time they were asked in August by NRF.
Families with children in grades K-12 expect to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics, according to an early July NRF survey. College shoppers anticipated spending an average of $1,364.75. These averages are the second-highest figures in the history of the NRF survey, which dates back to 2007.
The NRF also found that 45% of consumers were waiting to finish their shopping because they were holding out for better deals.
Even though inflation has begun to trend lower, prices in stores haven't come down, making shoppers more conscious about affordability when they’re buying school supplies. Almost half of those surveyed by the NRF in August said their purchase decisions were driven by coupons, sales, or promotions.
"As the kids head back to school, we think it’s likely that consumers will be looking for 'value' as they update their wardrobes," wrote Bank of America (BofA) analysts in a commentary Sunday.
Even before back-to-school shopping started for this year, many consumers were searching for bigger bang for their buck, a trend that was evident from the earnings calls of some big discount retailers such as Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), and TJ Maxx and Marshalls parent TJX Cos. (TJX).
"[C]onsumers are increasingly trading down to value apparel as they balance the rising costs of necessities and increased spending on experiences. This is especially true for Gen Z and Millennials, with the market share for value apparel up nearly four percentage points year-over-year (YoY) and up over ten percent since July 2019, more than twice the rate of growth for higher-income customers," the BofA analysts wrote.
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The Commissioner for Finance in Borno State, Ahmed Ali Ahmed has been found d3ad in his room.
According to Daily Trust, the commissioner’s d3ad body was found after his door was forcefully opened in the morning of Monday, August 26, 2024.
The deceased was discovered d3afpd after he failed to emerge at his usual morning time, prompting concerns. “Oga is no more, he d+ed early this morning,” the source told newsmen.
Borno State Government has announced the passing of Ahmed Ali Ahmed, the State Commissioner of Finance. This marks the second loss of a cabinet member for Governor Babagana Zulum within a year.
Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, has sl+mmed a lady for allegedly using her mother’s condition for social media content.
We condemn the dist¥rbing Video report of a woman’s m£ntal illness being exploited by her daughter for personal gain and social media content. This is unacceptable, potentially homful, and troubling.
We strongly c%ndemn expl@iting vulnerable individuals, especially those struggling with m£ntal health issues. M£ntal illness demands compassion, understanding, and support – not ridic¥le or expl%itation.
The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs urgently request information about the mother’s identity and condition to ensure proper care and protection. A reward is offered for prompt location assistance.
Appropriate actions must be taken to address this situation. We call on everyone to respect the dignity and humanity of those facing mital health issues and report similar instances immediately. Let’s work together to prevent exploitation and support those who need it most.”
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The Dutch privacy watchdog said it has fined Uber Technologies (UBER) 290 million euros ($324 million) for allegedly transferring the personal data of European taxi drivers to the U.S. without adequate safeguards.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority, or DPA, said the ride-hailing giant breached the European Union (EU)'s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by sending "sensitive information of drivers from Europe and retained it on servers in the US."
The fine reportedly is a record for Uber, which is appealing the second of two other penalties from the Dutch regulator.
The fine stemmed from complaints from 170 French Uber drivers, but the Dutch regulator issued the fine because Uber's European headquarters is in the Netherlands.
In a statement to , Uber said it will appeal, calling the Dutch decision "flawed" and "completely unjustified."
The Dutch DPA said among sensitive information Uber had collected and kept on its U.S. servers were "account details and taxi licences, but also location data, photos, payment details, identity documents, and in some cases even criminal and medical data of drivers."
The regulator added that "Uber has ended the violation."
Uber shares slipped less than 1% to $73.80 soon after the opening bell Monday. They are up about 20% this year.
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Nigerians has reacted to a picture of Seyi Tinubu at the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Kekere-Ekun as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
They asked what is Seyi Tinubu doing at the back of Femi Gbajabiamila at swearing-in ceremony of the CJN, or do we now have the Office of The First Son, Federal Government of Nigeria?