Back-to-School Shopping
Children grow rapidly during the first 18 years of their lives, outgrowing clothes numerous times before reaching adulthood. So is it the need for new clothes that drives back-to-school shopping, or is it the allure of the hottest new fashions?
During the third quarter of 2000, 42% of Lifestyle MonitorTM respondents reported a need to purchase back-to-school apparel. Of these consumers, 84% bought apparel before the first day of school; the primary reason given for buying clothes before the start of the school year was that "he/she/I want new clothes."
As reported in the July 1999 issue of the Textile Consumer, most or all children select the clothing that is purchased for them by the time they are 13 years old. Over half (58%) of teens aged 13 to 15 choose most or all of their own clothing, and 75% of those aged 16 to 18 do so without parental input. Therefore, it is not surprising that parents buying clothes for back to school are driven by their children's "wants" rather than their "needs."
Respondents were asked whether they got more enjoyment from wearing clothing they had owned for a long time or apparel they had just purchased. Overwhelming, 71% of Generation Y say they prefer to wear newly purchased clothes. This is further supported by a recent survey conducted on www.Alloy.com that asked teens which of the following items were "must haves" for the first day of class: new jeans, new shoes, the hottest new shirt, or their comfy broken-in jeans. Over 80% named a new item as the "must have." |
