As summer draws to a close, office supply stores are gearing up for their annual end-of-summer sales. Ever borrowed a pen and forgotten to return it? Go stock up on ball-point pens and cheap mailers while it lasts so you will be prepared the next time you need to ship something with a reasonable amount of padding. Wondering who honestly waits for office supplies to go on sale?

It is predicted that parents will wait until just a week or two before school to buy the ubiquitous #2 pencils and 1/2 inch binders in bulk for their school-going children. The days of showing up with just a sharpened pencil and a fresh notebook are long gone. It is estimated that a child will require about $700 dollars in school supplies over the course of their education, not including college.

Teachers are fond of sending home handouts. Printer paper has practically become its own currency intraoffice, and so a ream of printer paper now makes a pretty standard appearance on school supply lists each Autumn.

Small business owners would find it advantageous to stock up on their laser printer labels and cheap mailers while prices are low. How small of a business, you ask? Self-employed individuals who primarily sell their artwork, such as small paintings, clothing, and jewelry run their business primarily online and by mail. So they have a need for less expensive wholesale bubble envelopes and printable sticker labels.

Their overheard is different than a brick-and-mortar business. There probably isn’t anyone around to judge their productivity, though 57% of workers in the U.S. admit they do judge their colleagues for having a sloppy workstation.

Shopping for office supplies, like other merchandise, is transitioning to online. A survey of parents show that 45% do most of their children’s back-to-school shopping online. Do you prefer the convenience of shopping online, or do you like to go to the store? Let us know in the comments below.