Coupon Facts Report Indicates Marketers Continue Steady use of Coupons

Valassis (NYSE: VCI), a leader in intelligent media delivery, released today the annual topline report of U.S. coupon trends. The findings include that consumer packaged goods manufacturers issued a steady flow of coupons in 2012, distributing 305 billion coupons to consumers, the same quantity as the year prior, although the marketing objectives were substantially different for those coupons.

Consumers' expectations for value in their purchasing decisions remained strong throughout 2012. NCH's August 2012 Consumer Survey found that 79.8% of consumers regularly shop using coupons, very similar to the 80.6% prior year result, and well above the 63.6% who reported regularly using coupons in the pre-recession 2007 study.

Additionally, the BIGinsight Monthly Consumer Survey in December 2012 found that 53.7% of consumers continued to focus more on needs than wants while shopping. Those results are very similar to the 52.1% in December 2011 and 52.7% in December 2010 who also said they focus more on needs than wants. These surveys confirm that a strong value-oriented mindset has persisted for a large segment of the population despite some improvements in overall consumer confidence measures and unemployment rates in 2012.

While consumer desire for saving with coupons continued, and the quantity of coupons made available to them was the same, CPG marketers have made other strategic shifts, including which products are promoted with coupons, how consumers receive coupons and various tactical offer-level changes, all of which affected industry redemption volume.

Of the 305 billion coupons issued in 2012, non-food categories comprised 4.4% more of the available coupons than the prior year, with items such as medications, personal care and other household products all distributing a greater quantity. CPG marketers increased the coupons available in non-food categories where consumers tend to delay purchases or have a multitude of national brand and retailer private label choices. Conversely, there were 6.5% fewer food coupons, including products that are purchased frequently.

According to the respondents in NCH's Consumer Survey who said they were using fewer coupons than the year before, 46% of them cited the number one reason was: "I can't find coupons for the products I want to buy." This consumer experience was primarily the result of CPG marketers shifting more of the coupons they issued to products that were new to the market.

Marx, a Kantar Media solution, measured a 23.2% increase in new product introduction events with Free Standing Insert (FSI) coupons in 2012. "Coupons have been effectively used to generate trial of new products for 125 years, however, such a significant year-over-year increase had a direct impact on the annual coupon industry measures," said Charlie Brown , NCH Vice President of Marketing."Because even successful niche products, line extensions and start-up brands won't typically deliver the same large-scale redemption volume as coupons offered on well-established and high market share brands, simply because the target audience is smaller."

CPG marketers used the FSI to distribute the largest volume of all their coupons in 2012, increasing the media's share to 90.1% of the 305 billion coupons issued. The .7 FSI share increase came from In-Store, Direct Mail and Magazine as CPG marketers reduced their use of those higher-redeeming media while also continuing to experiment with the audience reach and scale potential of various digital media. In total, digital remains less than 1% of all coupons distributed, including those printed at home and paperless offers downloaded to loyalty cards or mobile devices.

The paperless formats are currently limited to retailer-specific coupons dependent upon unique point of sale (POS) system enablement. And, most digital coupons require a change in consumer planning or shopping behavior. "With big differences in the current reach and scale of digital that we are experiencing firsthand through our digital business, CPG marketers need to optimize their mix of print, digital and in-store coupons to drive consistent, integrated campaigns and reach all their relevant consumer audiences," said Suzie Brown , Valassis Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

All of the year-over-year strategy-shifts created an inconsistent annual result for total CPG coupon redemption volume, down 17% to 2.9 billion coupons for 2012. While this reduced volume saved marketers a substantial $800 million in face value discounts, it also raised the cost of per unit items that benefit from higher volume efficiencies, such as retailer redemption handling, auditing and settlement services.

"When making year-over-year comparisons, it's important to keep in mind the conditions and marketer activities of the prior year as well, such as in the case of redemption volume, where the 2012 result would be measured against a year when redemption was growing at an unusual pace for the CPG industry," added Charlie Brown .

A number of other strategic choices and seemingly minor tactical tweaks occurred in 2012, all contributing to the year-over-year change in CPG redemption volume, including:

• Average face values distributed declined -1.3% to $1.53 overall, and dropped to $0.99 for food coupons.
• Coupons requiring the purchase of two or more products increased to 29% of all coupons distributed, up two share points, and reached 45% of all food coupons.
• Expiration dates shortened 6.1% to 9.3 weeks on average, and dropped to an average of only 8 weeks for non-food coupons.

For more information on NCH's 2013 Coupon Facts report, visit www.nchresourcecenter.com.PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1yTob)

Sixty-two percent of consumers are planning to spend the same or more this holiday shopping season compared to 2011, According to Survey

PriceGrabber® has released the results of its first winter holiday shopping survey, revealing optimism for both consumers and retailers this 2012 holiday season. More than half of consumers surveyed said they are planning to spend the same amount of money or more during the 2012 winter holiday shopping season than they did in 2011. Fifty percent of consumers plan to spend the same amount that they spent last year – up slightly from 48 percent in 2011 – and 12 percent plan to spend more, a positive increase compared with 7 percent last year. Conducted from August 31 to Sept. 12, 2012, the survey includes responses from 2,235 U.S. online shopping consumers.

Consumers are positive about the upcoming holiday season

Of those consumers who indicated that they will spend more money this holiday season compared with last year, 42 percent said they are making more money this year, 34 percent attributed their decision to better prices on gifts, 22 percent said they have confidence in the economy, 13 percent said they will spend more due to increased credit limit, and 8 percent are tired of being frugal.

When shoppers who indicated they plan to spend less money on holiday shopping in 2012 were asked why, 62 percent attributed their spending decision to an increase in prices for food, gas and other necessities. Forty-one percent indicated that they are earning less money this year and 39 percent said they planned to spend less due to an increased acceptance of giving less-expensive gifts. The state of the economy also continues to impact consumers' holiday shopping decisions, with PriceGrabber's survey finding that 64 percent of shoppers say the economic climate will affect their overall spending.

Shoppers are looking forward to better pricing and discounts this holiday season

Shoppers appear to be confident in their ability to find a holiday bargain this season. According to PriceGrabber's survey, 67 percent of consumers said they believe retailers will offer better prices and discounts this year. When asked what retailer tactics will entice consumers to buy a product this holiday season, 77 percent of respondents indicated free shipping, 74 percent noted price cuts, 55 percent said coupons, and 44 percent indicated blow out sales.

"Our survey data found that shoppers are not only expecting to find great prices and bargains this holiday season, but 59 percent of consumers plan to start shopping even earlier this year to spread out the impact of purchases, compared to 53 percent in 2011," stated Rojeh Avanesian, vice president of marketing and analytics of PriceGrabber. "Our data indicates that 17 percent of consumers plan to start their holiday shopping in September and 31 percent plan to begin in October this year."

Majority of consumers will research gift purchases in advance to save money

To maintain their holiday budgets this year, more shoppers will use the Internet to conduct research on products and pricing before making holiday purchases. An overwhelming 88 percent of PriceGrabber survey respondents indicated that they will research their holiday gift purchases in advance to find the best deals. Of those respondents, 38 percent plan to spend three to six hours researching holiday gift purchases, 29 percent plan to spend up to two hours, 19 percent said they plan to spend over 10 hours and 14 percent indicated between seven and 10 hours.

"Our survey findings indicate that consumers are still budget conscience and will continue to do their research to find the best pricing on products when holiday shopping this year," added Avanesian. "By comparison-shopping on a Website such as PriceGrabber.com or visiting the number of discount retailers available online, consumers can find deals, compare prices, set price alerts, print coupons, and take advantage of online promotional codes and free shipping to save extra cash."

For shrewd holiday shopping on any budget, visit http://www.pricegrabber.com to browse, compare, read merchant reviews, find local deals, online deals, and more. Download the mobile application for smart shopping on the go.
anywhere. Visit us at http://www.pricegrabber.com.

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More Than 1/3 of U.S. Adults At Least Somewhat Likely to Use Layaway for Holiday Shopping

Several major retailers have launched their holiday layaway programs this fall, prompting some consumers to include layaway as part of their shopping strategy. A new CouponCabin.com survey reveals that more than one-third (34 percent) of U.S. adults are at least somewhat likely to purchase items on layaway this holiday season. Nearly one-in-ten (9 percent) said it is very likely they will do so. This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from September 13th – 17th, 2012 among 2,339 adults ages 18 and older.

Some stores offer their layaway services online, making trips to the store for payments obsolete. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. adults said they might consider purchasing an item using online layaway this holiday season.

The positive aspects to using layaway are varied. When asked what they believe are the benefits to using a layaway program for holiday shopping, U.S. adults said the following:

• Helps a person buy larger items for the holidays that they couldn't afford to buy all at once – 54 percent 
• Helps a person budget his or her money – 52 percent 
• Helps a person avoid using credit cards – 46 percent 
• Helps a person plan ahead – 43 percent 
• Lets a person reserve a popular item when they want it – 43 percent 
• A person doesn't need to have good credit to use the programs – 33 percent 
• Other – 2 percent 

When asked what they believe are the drawbacks of using a layaway program for holiday shopping, U.S. adults said the following:

• There's a charge to cancelling a layaway order – 43 percent 
• The service fees end up making it not worth it – 41 percent 
• Can't use it for all types of items (i.e. electronics, food and jewelry are often exempt) – 35 percent 
• The deadlines for completing payments aren't long enough – 22 percent 
• It can be confusing – 16 percent 
• Other – 8 percent 

The following are tips for shoppers thinking of using layaway as part of their holiday shopping strategy this year:

• Read the fine print: Before you sign on the dotted line, take a moment to understand all the terms and conditions to your layaway agreement. The due diligence will pay off in the long run so you aren't penalized by unknown fees. 
• Seek out free programs: Some stores, like Kmart, are offering free layaway programs (on top of already low prices) this season, so be sure to pay attention to these offers. 
• Plan ahead: Certain layaway programs may make you wait months before you can pay off your purchases. Factor in that extra time into your holiday shopping schedule to make sure you get the gifts you need on time. 

Survey Methodology:This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Coupon Cabin from September 13th – 17th, 2012 among 2,339 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Lauren Boukas, lboukas@couponcabin.com.

About CouponCabin.comCouponCabin.com is a leading online destination for coupons including online coupon codes, printables, grocery coupons and more. Shoppers have saved nearly $350 million since 2003 and with the largest selection of coupons guaranteed to work, CouponCabin is the best place to start searching for savings. The average user saves $19 in just 80 seconds on the site. With customized email newsletters, browser savings alerts, new coupon alerts and more, shoppers will never miss out on a great deal with CouponCabin. For more information, please visit http://www.CouponCabin.com.


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Sears and K-mart's New Layaway Policy Nice Present for Christmas Shoppers

Normally, I don't promote chain stores, but in the interest of providing ways to plan for Christmas and save money, check out the new layaway policy from Sears and K-Mart.

To provide holiday shoppers with even more accessibility, Kmart and Sears today announce all products purchased through online layaway are available for ship-to-home delivery. The new service – also available on store kiosks now enables shoppers to select, purchase and have the items delivered directly to their homes, bypassing the layaway line altogether. Both retailers will begin the exclusive layaway ship-to-home service starting Nov. 7.

Additionally, customers will have even more value at their fingertips as Sears is removing all layaway service fees both online and in-store leading up to the holiday season. Kmart announced its free layaway program last month.

The removal of layaway service fees recognizes the extra financial burden the holiday season brings and provides added value for holiday shoppers. Credit experts from organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling have backed layaway as a smart shopping practice year-round, especially during the holiday season when shoppers need to be more disciplined with their finances.

Kmart has removed layaway service fees through Nov. 17; Sears has eliminated layaway service fees from Sept. 29 to Oct. 29, and Nov. 2 to Dec. 3. The ship-to-home layaway option begins Nov. 7 and includes the widest selection of layaway products to purchase from.

For more information please visit www.kmart.com and www.sears.com.
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Crafting with Epsom Salt

While Epsom salt is hundreds of years old, now there's a new way to use it: making crafts.

The Epsom Salt Council has added a new page to its website (http://epsomsaltcouncil.org/salt-crafts/#) with instructions for a variety of craft projects. Frost your windows, decorate champagne glasses or make sparkly Easter eggs. Whether it's Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Halloween, the Holidays or just an uneventful day at home, Epsom salt can help you celebrate and have fun.

"Using Epsom salt as a craft medium is becoming more and more popular," said Amanda Formaro, a former craft expert for Disney's Kaboose.com who now runs the websiteCrafts by Amanda, which offers easy tutorials for kids and adults. Formaro offered guidance to the Council as it created its new web page.

"Epsom salt is perfect for creating pretty textures for all sorts of projects," Formaro said. "And it's an inexpensive material that's readily available at discount stores, dollar stores, pharmacies and groceries."

Among the projects featured on the Epsom Salt Council's new web page:

• Shimmering luminaries – Add sparkle to candleholders at a party or even a wedding. 
• Greeting cards – Customize a homemade card for someone you love. 
• Early frost fall decor – Coat your pumpkins and gourds, making an attractive fall display. 
• Holiday jars – Paint them red, white and blue on the Fourth of July or choose different colors for other holidays. These are great for holding napkins, straws and utensils, dressing up your celebration. 
• Snowballs – You can hang them as ornaments or place them in a basket or vase for a winter-themed centerpiece. 

"There are so many fun crafts you can do with Epsom salt, and this is another reason why it's always been one of the most versatile household products," said Epsom Salt Council Vice President Mark Vincent. "Whether it's creating a craft, relaxing with an at-home spa treatment, soothing aching muscles, boosting your garden, or nurturing your health, we are pleased that people keep finding new benefits of Epsom salt."

About Epsom salt
Epsom salt – actually magnesium sulfate – is one of the most versatile household products, with uses ranging from creating at-home spa treatments to soothing aching muscles to helping start or improve gardens to nurturing your health. It's been used therapeutically for hundreds of years, and it's gaining a new generation of fans looking for a safe, economical alternative in a sea of expensive, over-the-counter remedies. Epsom salt is easy to use, easy to find in your local pharmacy or grocery store and it costs about the same per use as a cup of coffee. For more information, please visit either www.epsomsaltcouncil.org or www.facebook.com/epsomsalt,

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Celebrate International Frugal Fun Day, Oct. 6

Saving money isn't always easy, but putting aside a few dollars here and there can add up. International Frugal Fun Day, October 6, is the perfect time to begin the habit of making small adjustments so you can have a frugal fun night and put the savings toward something even bigger later.

Here are some suggestions on how to be frugal but still have fun.

Rent a movie. Before spending a small fortune to see a recent release, rent a movie you forgot to see before it left theaters. Spend $15 on the rented movie and snacks from the grocery store and put the remaining money in your savings account. What would have been a $45 date night is now a frugal movie night.

Savings: $30 on the cost of movie tickets and theatre snacks

Take a picnic to a public park. Instead of spending your play money to go out to eat all the time, pack up a picnic basket and head to a nearby park with your loved ones. Enjoy the outdoors by bringing a ball, kite or frisbee so you can play after lunch. Many state parks require a small fee, but most local public parks are completely free. A day in the sun is the perfect time to save for a rainy day, so deposit the money you would have spent eating out straight to your savings account.

Savings: $40 on the cost of an appetizer, two entrees, and drinks at a restaurant

Visit the museum and zoo on free days. Many entertaining destinations like these have a designated day each month for the public to enter at a free or reduced rate. Instead of paying around $30 for two adults to be admitted, with a little planning you can check out American Indian relics, paintings and animals for little or nothing.

Savings: $30 on the cost of admission

Take a bike ride. Who decided exercise had to be boring? Take a new bike path or explore a neighborhood you've always wanted to see. You'll find out more about the area in which you live and make yourself more fit in the process.

Savings: $5 on the cost of gas

Participate in a seasonal tradition, visit a pumpkin patch. Fall, food and fun—you can't go wrong. Take some friends to pick pumpkins, and later, spend the evening baking pumpkin pie. If you pull the money for pumpkins out of your grocery budget, you will have spent no money on entertainment at all.

Savings: $0 total—but your monthly budget now allows $5 more for entertainment!

By participating in a little frugal fun, you can work toward your savings goal without radically changing your lifestyle; if you do one of the ideas mentioned each weekend, you can save your way to something even more fun, like an island getaway. Make sure to tell everyone on the beach how you did it.

For more information on budgeting and saving, visit www.bmoharris.com.

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Creative Christmas Giving

Christmas has always been a big deal at our home, and when I knew I was going to be retired from my public relations job, I started looking for ways well before the impending lay off to save money and still make Christmas a memorable family gathering.

We knew we had to make changes in how and how much money we spent. We also realized that this was the perfect time to make lasting changes in how we celebrated the holiday. None of us really need or want anything. If we do, we are fortunate enough to be able to buy most anything we need or want. No, we decided that Christmas presents had to be meaningful.

One of the changes we made was to say that at least one gift to everyone and from everyone had to be personally handmade. I sew, so this year, I made felt shopping bags for everyone. Felt is cheap so it that helps on the Christmas budget. It’s also easy to personalize each bag. But more importantly, reflects my desire for my family to be more green.

Last year, the first year that we did this, my daughter created beautiful, handmade canvas prints of my grandson. My dad made me a beautiful cake plate – and even baked cookies! My sons, not much on the creative front, give me framed photos. Those are gifts I'll cherish forever.

Buying locally produced products also is important to us, so at least one gift had to be made in Texas or at least made in the USA. This was my excuse to hit the McKinney Downtown Square.

Loco Cowpoke and Landon Winery are two of my favorite shops for made in Texas goods. Every item sold at Loco Cowpoke is made in Texas. My son-in-law the barbeque connoisseur got a selection of Texas-made barbeque sauces; my mother and daughter got the amazing margarita jelly; my youngest son, the amazing Texas grown and pickled olives. There’s also Texas-made peanut butters, chocolates and honey as well as the expected sauces.

Landon Winery is a popular gift with by parents and my brother – whose name happens to be Landon. We’re partial to the fruit wines and the dessert wines. And I got the gift box – for obvious reasons.

Another thing I started a couple of years ago, is the "coolest thing ever" gift. I buy one outrageously practical, but totally cool gift in bulk and every family gets one. The first year I did it, I bought Megabrite LED Color Changing Night Lights in multi-packs. You plug these decorative night lights into the wall, and they fade from one color to the next. Practical and pretty. I got a lot of strange looks when those gifts were open. Everybody thought I was off my rocker, but when I go into their homes, they all have them plugged in.

Last year, I gave the even more practical memory foam bath mats. My youngest son was the loudest to yelp about such an odd ball gift. Then a couple of weeks after Christmas, he called with an admission: "Mom, I didn't get what was so special about that bath mat. Then I jump out of the shower this morning, and it was cold! When my feet landed on it, I got it!” Not to mention that it helps reduce my elderly parents chances of slipping or eases the burden on my daughter’s knees when she baths my grandson.

While I haven’t decided this year’s coolest gift ever, I almost always buy them from a warehouse store so I can get them in bulk and for much, much cheaper than you can get them anywhere online.

Beyond the quest to be green and to be practical, I also have a couple of frugality strategies.

Last year, I discovered Coin Star’s free coin counting service. You can take your jars full of change to Coin Star and exchange them for e-certificates and gift cards for free. Participating retailers are practical places where you’re like to shop for Christmas anyway: Penny’s, Sears, Toys R Us, Lowes, Gap and Amazon.com, just to name a few. There’s also several grocery stores and restaurants participating. I bought most of my grandson's 2011 Christmas with Coin Star generated gift cards and will likely do the same this year as I have filled three big jars since last Christmas.

A couple of things to note: not all merchants are available at all coin star machines. For example, at Walmart, you can only get restaurant and hotel gift certificates. I found that out the hard way and ended up trekking across the street to Kroger to get the Toys R Us deal. Coin Star has since upgraded its web site so that you can find a vending machine that offers the gift certificate you’re looking for before you head out.

Also be aware that the rules for each gift card and e-certificate is different from vendor to vendor, and you won’t necessarily find the answers online – only on the printed receipt you receive after you've cashed in your coins. I figured out that the hard way too. Toys R Us/Babies R Us issues e-certificates which can only be used to make online purchases, which I - and the store staff - learned after several phone calls to corporate. I had to go home and make my purchase. I was able to do in store pick up at no cost, but that option may not be available on everything you buy. Be aware that your purchase my include shipping costs and could take up to two weeks to arrive. Make sure you do this with plenty of time to spare.

Now for something new that I'm doing this year.... Selling Avon. You can become an Avon rep for only $10. (Most other direct sales opportunities are $150 or more to join). As a new rep, you get up to 40 percent discount on your first four orders if those orders are at least $100 each. (Discount depends on the product). You get $100 with of products for $60 (plus shipping and tax)

You can order stocking stuffer favorites for women, men and kids super cheap. Actually, you can get some pretty nice tree gifts super cheap too. You’ll be able to get fantastic deals on popular gifts – sleepwear, clothes, jewelry, footwear, colognes, perfumes and bath products.

Oh, and you can restock your bathroom while you’re at it. Avon is comparably priced to Wal-mart on the cosmetics, hair care and skin care products you use every day. And the quality is comparable to high-end department store products! Because everyone knows the Avon name, it’s very easy to sell to friends, family and coworkers, and they're subsidizing your Christmas shopping. Just last week, I filled three huge stockings for $4 TOTAL, thanks to my wonderful customers.

Yes, there’s a downside – you do pay for shipping, but in this day of online shopping, you should be used to that. And if you decide to make a side business of it, there are some niggly costs involved – you have to pay for brochures and samples (both of which really do encourage sales) and you pay for your gas if your customers are beyond your normal travels.

Avon does have no hassle, online sign up. Email me for the link and sign up code. I promise not to bug you.

So yes, it’s the only the beginning of October, but we’re already planning for a great Christmas!!!

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Special Discount for Teachers at Office Max

OfficeMax® Incorporated (NYSE: OMX) announced today it is expanding on its history of honoring educators with special back-to-school teacher shopping days featuring teacher-only discounts and shopping rewards, and an in-store classroom supply drive at OfficeMax retail stores nationwide. To further support teachers, OfficeMax also today reaffirmed its annual pledge to donate $1 million worth of supplies across 1,000 in-need classrooms this fall.

The teacher savings events and donation pledge build upon OfficeMax's long-standing commitment to teachers and education. Last year OfficeMax and its customers joined forces to donate $4.6 million in much-needed classroom supplies to teachers and schools. Since 2007, A Day Made Better and other OfficeMax Goodworks programs have contributed more than $18 million in grants and supplies to support teachers and classrooms. Additionally, OfficeMax has helped its nonprofit partner Adopt-A-Classroom secure funding for more than 78,000 classrooms nationwide.

"Teachers help form the backbone of every community, and many are increasingly faced with challenges to make ends meet in the classroom due to budget shortfalls in local communities," said Carolynn Brooks, president of OfficeMax Charitable Foundation. "Our annual classroom supply donations, teacher saving events, and in-store supply drive are our way of helping to lighten teachers' financial burdens so they can stay focused on what they do best."

Big Back-to-School Deals for Teachers

Teachers spend approximately $1,0001 out of their own pockets each year on school supplies. To help reduce teachers' out-of-pocket expenses, through August 19th OfficeMax invites teachers to its in-store Teacher Appreciation Daysacross the U.S. and Puerto Rico where they will receive a free tote bag2 and the chance to stock up and save 25 percent3 on hundreds of essential classroom supplies.

To participate in Teacher Appreciation Days, teachers can join the OfficeMax MaxPerks® Rewards for Teachers program at no charge either in-store or at www.officemax.com/maxperks. OfficeMax MaxPerks Rewards for Teachers offers additional savings year-round, including a $10 reward for every $75 teachers spend on qualifying purchases – up to $100 each calendar year. Visit www.officemax.com/celebrateteachers to learn more or to find the date of a local OfficeMax Teacher Appreciation Days event.

Help Make A Day Better For Teachers and Classrooms

Throughout the back-to-school shopping season, stop in at OfficeMax stores nationwide and donate much-needed school supplies for local schools through the OfficeMax A Day Made Better in-store school supply drive. OfficeMax store associates will donate the collected supplies to local schools on October 2nd during its annual A Day Made Better events in which OfficeMax associates surprise 1,000 teachers in their classrooms with $1,000 each worth of OfficeMax-donated school supplies – $1 million in sum.

Source: Office Max via PR Newswire