Simon Malls Offers Katy Families Chance to Win $5,000 Shopping Spree at Katy Mills Amid Rising Back-to-School Costs
Back-to-school shopping has always been a busy and expensive time of year, but in 2025, families are feeling the financial pinch more than ever. To help offset costs, Simon Malls, including Katy Mills, has launched its Back-to-School 2025 Sweepstakes, offering a grand prize of $5,000 in prepaid cards and ten $500 prepaid gift cards to support families gearing up for the new school year.
Rising Costs Push Families to Shop Early
This year, families with children in elementary through high school are expected to spend an average of $858.07 on clothing, shoes, school supplies, and electronics, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The breakdown includes $295.81 for electronics, $249.36 for clothing and accessories, $169.13 for shoes, and $143.77 for school supplies like backpacks, notebooks, and lunch kits.
The price tag comes at a time when 67% of families reported beginning their back-to-school shopping earlier than usual—the highest early start since NRF began tracking in 2018. Shoppers are acting fast, driven by concerns about rising prices and limited inventory.
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“Consumers are being mindful of the potential impacts of tariffs and inflation on back-to-school items, and have turned to early shopping, discount stores and summer sales for savings on school essentials,” said Katherine Cullen, NRF Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights.
Even with careful budgeting, most families still have more than half of their shopping left to complete by midsummer, largely because they’re waiting for sales, finalizing school lists, or spreading out their budgets. “Regardless of income, families want to ensure their students are set up for success. They are cutting back in other areas, using buy now, pay later or buying used or refurbished items to have everything they need for the school year,” added Phil Rist, Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy.
Sweepstakes Offers Relief for Local Shoppers
The Simon Malls Back-to-School 2025 Sweepstakes could be a timely solution for Katy-area families facing these rising costs. The sweepstakes, which runs through August 8, 2025, allows residents to enter with no purchase necessary for a chance to win big:
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Grand Prize: One winner receives $5,000 in prepaid cards
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First Prize: Ten winners each receive $500 prepaid cards
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How to Enter
The Back-to-School 2025 Sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents 18 years and older and requires no purchase to enter. Visit backtoschool2025sweepstakes.splashthat.com to submit your sweepstakes entry.
Each website entry counts as one sweepstakes submission, with up to two entries allowed per person. Winners will be drawn at random on or around August 11, 2025, and notified by email. For official rules and to enter, visit backtoschool2025sweepstakes.splashthat.com.
For Katy families shopping at Katy Mills or other Simon properties, this sweepstakes could cover an entire year’s worth of school clothes, electronics, and supplies—lifting a significant financial burden during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year.
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Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
