While summer break may be too short for many students, the end of summer is a welcome change for retailers eager to learn whether students “hitting the books” will result in more parents hitting the store aisles. In line with a general slowdown that occurs during the restful summer months, economic activity also feels a “summer pause,” a “quiet” that can be as loud and jarring as fingers on a chalkboard for many retailers. Fortunately for them, the early back-to-school predictions could mean good marks in their future sales logs.

Every year, the Back to School season brings a flurry of activity for me both at work and at home. At our FedEx Office stores we see students, parents, and teachers buying school supplies, making "welcome back" posters and banners, printing classroom materials, and even packing and shipping all the essentials (like hot pots and Ramen noodles) to dorm rooms across the country. At home, my daughter is busy getting ready as well as she prepares for her freshman year of high school.