Dear Staples & Office Depot, Where Are All The HOT Back to School Deals?!

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Yoo Hoo! Staples?! Office Depot?

It’s now halfway through the summer – I mean it’s practically August! So I am just wondering if you have forgotten to advertise your super cheap school supply deals? Since I shopped with you all last summer, I have come to expect offers like Notebooks, Crayons, Pencils and more for just 1¢.

In fact, I was even used to getting items free after rewards and rebates.

I hate to say this out loud – but this summer has been a bit of a disappointment. I am getting tired of seeing the same sales week after week at both of your stores. Come on! Variety is the spice of life, right?!

Are you missing all the HOT school supply deals in-store too?

If you prefer to shop for back-to-school from the comfort of your own home, here are some nice buys on supplies, backpacks and more that you can grab online…

New Bluetiful Crayola Classic Crayons 24-count
Only 50¢ (regularly $1.50)
*requires minimum order of two


Crayola 12 Count Classic Colored Pencils
Only 97¢ (regularly $2.57)

*requires minimum order of two



Cra-Z-Art 24-Count School Quality Crayons
Only 25¢ (regularly $1.48)
*requires minimum order of two


Cra-Z-Art 10-Count Classic Markers
Only 50¢ (regularly $1.97)
*requires minimum order of two


High Sierra Curve Backpacks in select colors
Only $14.99 $15.99 shipped (regularly $50)


High Sierra Pinova Backpacks in select colors
Only $15.99 shipped (regularly $50)


Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator
Only $112 shipped (regularly $149.95!)

Built Big Apple Buddies Insulated Lunch Bag in Delancey Doggie
Only $10.69 (regularly as much as $24.55)



Shopkins Backpack w/ Lunch Kit
Only $12.88 NOW $9.99 (regularly $18.88)


Champion Absolute Backpack
Only $9.99 shipped when you use promo code HIP999 at checkout!


Minnie Mouse or Disney Princess Backpack w/ Lunch Kit
as low as $12.99 (regularly $18.88)



Buyseasons Reversible Sequin Backpack
Only $16.88 (regularly $29.99)



4-pack of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes 35-Count Canisters
Only $6.48 – just $1.62 per 35-count canister!


Join The Discussion

Comments 45

  1. retireewannabe

    I’ve been waiting too.

  2. Myrah

    I agree. I was wondering where the deals were.

  3. Amy

    Same! With all my rite aids closing and almost no school supply deals it’s been sad for deals this summer. Thank goodness for prime day to make up for some of it. 👍🏼

  4. Lisa Anthony

    Right?! I have been waiting all month for those deals. If Office max/Depot, isn’t going to have them, i’m not going to shop there. Why go to their store just for one or two items, that are a bit cheaper than the store i’m already at? They are more expensive on most of the stuff I need than Target, Wal-Mart or even Dillons. If they were worried about the penny deals and not making money, then why not up to .05, .10 or even .25? I think people would still go for it and they’d make more on the supplies.

    • LaRonica Fisher

      I agree. I have been waiting for .25 deals, but the sales seem to be non-existent this year

  5. lindak

    I’m wondering where my reward money from my Office Depot battery purchase is. Always before I received it within a day or two. New rules I guess. And yes. Where are the school supply deals.

  6. Judy Trac

    Will go after pharmacy

  7. Jennifer Hagan

    It has been the same way with Walgreens. Where are the deals?

  8. Bea

    I agree! They usually start around 7/15. I am a teacher and this is how I get supplies for the kids who need them!

  9. Lisa

    I heard the best deals are at CVS this year.

    • rose

      I’ve seen the next 3 wks of CVS ads and there are NO school supply EB deals, just a few measly BOGO offers. But WM is much cheaper than CVS reg prices anyway. Unless you need to burn down EBs.

  10. Carrie

    I think it’s best we leave them alone, lol. Office Depot has a very huge chance of filing bankruptcy this year. Businesses can’t make money by giving stuff away. They are now trying to position themselves to be Business suppliers.

    • kmcz123

      I agree!

      • Cathy B

        I double agree! Too many people have the mindset that they should get something for nothing. No business model can sustain that…Please think 🤔

        • Bappleb

          Yes to this! We need to support the shops that we want to to stay in business.

  11. Marie

    I asked at office depot this week when are the 1cent deals starting and the cashier told me they will NOT be happening this year 😟🙁

  12. CW

    I also noticed that my local Target carried far LESS this year, and by July 9 there already wasn’t much left, and our state sales tax holiday is next Friday.

  13. Mamamia

    As far as I remember, the 1 cent deals were nonexistent last year too. I think the cheapest I found was $.25 from brands like cra-z-art. Staples has rulers, erasers, folders and sharpeners for quarters , but most deals were $.50 and up.

    • Shoppingfan

      I’m looking at my receipts from last year, we had about a month worth of penny deals in July & Aug. that s when I did my shopping & now can shred the receipts.

  14. JaimeD

    My thoughts EXACTLY! I was just wondering this week when and IF we’d see any deals🕘 wah wah wah😞☔

  15. Leona

    I was wondering the same thing…

    One thing to note about Office Depot… my rewards have been disappearing. I’ve been able to contact them and get them back, but hearing that they may file bankruptcy leaves me to wonder.

    • brandy

      Mine too! I am CERTAIN I had rewards and when I went to go for supplies this week, nothing. A bit suspicious.

  16. Diana Calderon

    amazing!!! I’m so excited! thanks

  17. Denise

    I, too, was told by Office Depot staff that the penny deals would not be happening this year. She said they are trying something different by raising the prices and offering more instead of limits of 3.

  18. Dragonfly121204

    Check your Staples coupon wallet. I have been getting coupons for $10 off school supplies coupons. I’d rather get $10 free than the penny items because I am not held to getting what they decide should be discounted. I may not need glue sticks or crayons, but need something like graph paper and that stuff is crazy expensive.

  19. Kan

    Yes, our tax free weekend was last weekend and we start school on Aug. 1, so we’ve just had to make the best out of the sales that have been going on!

    • Sara

      August 1st? What day does the school year end? I started kindergarten in TN after Labor Day 1993. I never started school before the third week of August, and I still got out by the end of May/first week of June.

  20. Suzy

    High Sierra backpacks are so worth it! My kids backpack has been used for 3 years. I’m finally getting her a new one for Jr. High.

  21. 50ShadesofLipstick

    It’s not worth going to these stores for school supplies period. At least w/ Walmart and Target you can earn gift cards by shopping there pretty easily (and get 5% off using your Redcard). Why bother driving all the way to Staples to save a few cents?

    Also our son’s kindergarten teacher last year wanted Crayola crayons only…as well as a few other brand name school supplies. I have no problem w/ that, but I am curious as to why, since I don’t see a huge difference b/w Crayola and Rose Art for example.

    • Becca

      Hi! Former elementary teacher here! I have seen a huge difference between crayola and off brand items. Crayola lasts much longer, richer colors, you don’t have to press as hard to use them, for example. I’ve received some off brand crayons that barely leave color on the page, it’s such a waste! Paying a bit more for a much higher quality product Ian worth it. Hope that helps answer your question! 🙂

    • Sally Ortega

      Mom & Teacher here. You can ask the teacher re: brand preference. I’m sure he/she would be more than happy to explain. In my experience, off brands crumble, break easier & do not hold color as well as crayons- especially when out through a laminator

      • 50ShadesofLipstick

        I would’ve asked the teacher, but we have to provide supplies on the first day of school so that wasn’t really an option. Thanks to you and others for the answers though.

    • LeeE

      As a teacher I can say there is a huge difference between Crayola and RoseArt. The Crayola hold up better and color on a piece of paper. RoseArt just crumble and break in the hands of little ones.

  22. BLKcanary

    Yes! Some of my facebook memories are with my savings! Haven’t had anything even close to last year. 🙁

  23. aytesca

    Yes with my second one now in college I was looking forward to the deals on computer paper. I don’t want to pay $5 for a team of paper.

  24. Joan

    Menards has some free after rebate and low prices on school supplies

  25. Kcmiami

    I love a good deal as much as the next person but I still found just as good of prices there as Walmart or target or whoever else was offering. Sure penny items would have been great but they probably weren’t making enough money off of it to keep going with it. Office Depot also price matches which is awesome

  26. Karen

    I ordered 2 of the champion backpacks – a blue and and orange one. I received 2 black ones. Oh well, they’ll still work lol

  27. Rhonda

    Same here! I’ve found that Kroger has the best deals so far. One subject notebooks are $.25, glue sticks (set of 7 for $1.99). They also have a super cute bunny pencil sharpener for $1.

    • ella

      My daughter got that bunny sharpener and is in love! 😉 I agree that Kroger has some really good prices this year on school supplies. Some of the prices rival Walmart!

  28. Erin

    We LOVE the High Sierra backpacks! They are super durable and my 12 yo son is very hard on bags. We got one at Costco last year and it still looks brand new. I got one for my daughter for this year. I think they may still be at Costco for $15.99. Limited colors but totally worth the price.

  29. Ihearthip

    I was really impressed with Kroger’s prices on school supplies, especially binders. I was even able to do a Clicklist Pickup to get them! I got tired of waiting for all the epic deals this year. I needed to turn in our supplies today! On several things I paid more than I wanted to, but I did the best I could.

  30. Jp

    Hmmm…just did my daughters school shopping yesterday at Staples and I was pleased with their prices. Cheaper than Walmart. 50c crayola crayons, pack of glue sticks for $1, 35c folders, 50c pack of pencils…am I missing something? I had filled a Walmart cart online and was going to spend much more than I spent at Staples.

  31. Renee

    Definitely waiting for the deals from office max. 🙁 might skip it this year. Target has my kids school list online and is willing to pull it all together for me to just pick up. Might be worth it to save myself the trouble.

  32. Heidi

    Office Depot had Crayola support cheap a few months ago (right after school let out) and I grabbed bunches of crayons markers etc for really cheap. I think it was 25¢ for a box of 24 Crayola crayons and other items. I still have a big bag left after the school allocation.

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