Advanced Placement

Planning Ahead And Shopping Early Are Hallmarks For Back-to-school 2010

June 24, 2010

	“Back-to-school is a forecaster for Christmas, so we all hope to see some improvement. There is cautious optimism this year, and that’s a good thing.” - Casey Chroust, Retail Industry Leaders Association

Donna, mom of two, takes a very strategic approach to back-to-school shopping each year: “I start early,” she says. “While most people are thinking about the end of the current school year, I am planning ahead for fall and the new school year.”

Whether they plan to shop as early as Donna or wait for the days of summer to come to a close, most women do plan to shop for back-to-school. Eighty-one percent of female respondents report to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ survey that they are at least planning to purchase new clothing for their children for the fall.

Taking a page from her daughters’ lesson books, Donna uses what she calls the “ABC’s” of back to school shopping. “It’s all about Accessibility, Bargains and Classics,” she says.

By “accessibility,” Donna means she looks across all shopping channels, including in-store, online and in catalogs, for an easy shopping experience. For the overwhelming majority of women, back-to-school shopping is a personal experience: 90% of female respondents who say that they are shopping for clothing for their children this fall report to the Monitor survey that they plan to shop in-store.

Regardless of the shopping channel they choose, women and retailers alike will focus on “bargains” for back-to-school shopping. “There will continue to be a value play with consumers this season, but how a consumer defines value differs by the consumer,” says Casey Chroust, Executive Vice President of Retail Operations for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the trade association for some of the world’s largest retailers. “For some, it’s about price, while for others, it’s about quality or durability.”

According to Monitor data, moms will be keeping their eye on price tags; a nearly unanimous 93% of females said that they were somewhat to very likely to purchase fall clothing for their children on sale. Further evidence of their still cautious spending habits is revealed by the 68% of women who say they prefer to shop at mass merchants, followed by chain stores (52%), specialty stores (43%), off price retailers (26%) and department stores (23%).

At Garnet Hill, the multi-channel retailer, back-to-school bargains are defined both by price and a small enticement to motivate consumers. “We have lots of well designed pieces with delightful details at great prices,” says Wendy Thayer, Public Relations Manager. She says that Garnet Hill will have special incentives, including a free lunch pack with the purchase of a backpack, among others.

Necessity appears to be a key motivation behind new back-to-school purchases. Among those planning to shop, 79% say they need to, and poor fit appears to be the culprit; 63% say their kids’ clothing is either too big or too small, and 15% say the clothing is worn out.

“Classics” like tees, denim, sweaters and athletic apparel, will also drive back-to-school purchases this year. When asked what they plan to purchase, respondents said shirts (88%) top the list, followed by jeans (80%), socks (76%), pants (65%), outerwear, (58%), and sweaters (54%). “These garments are the staples of back to school wardrobes, and they are on everyone’s list year after year for good reason,” says Maria Dziedzic, Men’s Design Director for Uniqlo, the international retailer. “Denim can be both a basic and a directional garment, and it can be purchased at price points across the board.” Monitor data reveal that women say they are willing to spend $29.22, on average, for a pair of jeans for their children.

Stephen Donnelly, Vice President and General Merchandising Manager for Kmart Apparel, agrees with Dziedzic. “It’s all about the denim: worn-out, vintage, bleached, skinny silhouettes and the all-important jegging.”

Moms may focus on the price tag, but kids still want fashion-forward looks; 15% of female respondents shopping for children’s apparel say their children want new clothing styles for back-to-school.

“We will be introducing several new fashion brands to appeal to a range of ages, from kids to teens and tweens,” says Donnelly. “Among the latest launches are the Dream Out Loud collection by Selena Gomez, and Rebecca Bonbon from the makers of Hello Kitty. Existing lines like Route 66 continue to have wide appeal to a young missy, back-to-campus customer,” Donnelly adds.

Donnelly also sees a significant overlap between what is on trend for moms – and their daughters. “Military-inspired fashions are also a key trend for your wardrobe; look for epaulets and shoulder details, military or brass buttons, dusty neutrals and cargo pants.“

At Garnet Hill, little touches also add up to a lot for their latest back-to-school collection. “We are calling it ‘Free Spirited Fun and Function’ with ruffles, embellishments and graphics,” says Thayer. “Our signature backpacks all have our own exclusive prints and are designed with lots of attention to details and function.”

With any luck, retailers and consumers who have focused on their “ABC’s” will get high marks across the board. “Back-to-school is a forecaster for Christmas, so we all hope to see some improvement,” observes Chroust, the retail insider. “There is cautious optimism this year and that’s a good thing.”