HORSEHEADS (WENY) --Tuesday and Wednesday are the first days of school for a lot of Southern Tier students, and some of them were out with their parents on Labor Day getting last minute items.

According to the National Retail Federation, school and college shoppers are expected to spend about $83 billion on supplies, an increase from last year.  Economists say that's because more kids are starting school, and more parents are replacing things they haven't in the past three or four years.

We visited Arnot Mall on Monday where some parents were out getting pants, shirts and outdoor gear for their students.