Businesses prep for uniform rush
Published 3:37 pm Saturday, July 20, 2013
Jeffrey Nichols with Screenco in Selma stacks shirts that are in stock. The local business prints uniforms and is prepping for the upcoming back to school madhouse that will ensue the first week of August. Residents are encouraged to shop now and shop early in order to avoid crowds. —Ashley Johnson
Screenco owner Jeffrey Nichols, a local company dedicated to embroidering and printing uniforms, said the back to school rush has not quite hit hard … yet.
But at Screenco they are in their office stacking uniforms and are ordering more items, all in anticipation of the week it will hit.
Nichols said he and his team have that week down to a science. A science of managing a madhouse where customers are willing to wait hours to get their orders just to get a 10 percent discount during the sales tax holiday the first week of August.
“The rush hasn’t started yet, but we are gearing up for it,” Nichols said with the hum of an embroidery machine in the background. “The first part of August is when the majority of people come in and shop and get their uniforms. We see a lot of people come in and just take advantage of that sales tax holiday.”
Every school within the Selma City School system requires uniforms and Nichols said families with multiple children spend, at an average minimum, $300 for several pairs of pants and three to four shirts per child.
“And that is if you are doing laundry everyday,” he said. “Most families are going to spend even more.”
Nichols said he does encourage shoppers to start coming in because of the large crowds that come during the first week of August, but said he understands why people wait, and that is fine too.
“That weekend means $10 saved for every $100 spent, and that for families is a lot,” Nichols said. “I just want to thank those families for shopping local and supporting local businesses like us.”
In addition to Screenco being a local option, Lorraine Capers, truancy officer for the Selma City Schools, is heading a uniform drive that will collect old uniforms throughout the year.
The distribution for those uniforms collected to families who need them is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Aug. 12 at the Dallas County Alternative School.
“I would like to encourage everyone, especially those who have children who just graduated or who have outgrown their uniforms to donate,” Capers said. “The uniforms can be dropped off at the Selma High School office or call 874-1680 and I can come and pick them up.”
Monetary donations are accepted as well.
