Back to School? Summer Season for Shopping Is Early This Year

This year, for the back-to-school shopping season, it is, as a sage once said, getting late early out there.

Target began its back-to-school pitches, above, the first week of July.
J. C. Penney, however, is starting its back-to-school campaign, left, a week later than last year.

Many retailers and advertisers are moving up the start of their sales and marketing campaigns devoted to children's clothing, stationery, computers and other back-to-school merchandise. In at least one instance, ads that promote buying such items on layaway appeared in mid-June - when schools in several parts of the country were still in session.