Back to School Stocks to Give Your Portfolio Top Marks

The overall back to school season might disappoint, as many forecasters are predicting just a slight increase in same-store sales. Meanwhile another survey finds that consumers are cutting back on purchases this year. According to the National Retail Federation, families will spend on average $630.36 on back to school shopping this year, which is a slight drop from last year. Most of the budget will go to new clothing, with about $218 spent on average. Just under $200 will be spent on new electronics, $117 will be spent on new shoes, and about $98 will be spent on school supplies. Discount stores are the most popular shopping spot for families, with 62 percent planning to buy items there, according to the National Retail Federation. That's followed by department stores and clothing stores. Nearly 36 percent will shop in office supply stores and about 22 percent will shop at electronics stores. But more than a third will skip the stores altogether and buy what they need on line, which should help e-tailers like Amazon (AMZN).