Back-to-school shopping ramps up as families hunt for deals before classes beginWILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With the start of the new school year just around the corner, families across the Cape Fear region are heading to stores to check off their back-to-school shopping lists. Store aisles are filling with notebooks, pencils, binders, backpacks and clothing as parents prepare students for the first day of class. While many families have familiar items to replace each year, rising costs are also prompting shoppers to look for the best bargains. Among the most important purchases each year are backpacks, which Kemp said allow students to express their personalities. “I’m looking for coloring stuff and then a book, and then I need coloring crayons and a coloring pen,” she said.