One of the big issues for most parents as they prepare for school in the fall is paying for what their kids want and need for the new school year. Cheryl H. Bridges, director of the Center for Retailing Studies at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School, offers the following thoughts and would be available to discuss them in more detail, along with other related retail topics.

 

• With household budgets stretched and gas prices on the way up again, shoppers are likely to be even more selective with their purchases. Back-to-school wardrobes are more likely to be a single outfit or updates with accessories. For girls, they might update jeans with a decorated T-shirt or go neo-preppy with a polo shirt.

 

• Back-to-school shopping is a great time to give kids lessons in money management. Ask kids to evaluate what they really need. Have them help compare prices online and visit different stores to find the best deal.

 

• As shoppers stretch dollars, more parents than ever are trying new outlets such as Goodwill or consignment shops to find deals on name-brand items. Sales at Goodwill stores are up more than 10 percent this year.

 

• The high price of being cool includes iPods, iPhones, computer notebooks and upgrades that have become nearly ubiquitous among teens. What’s too much?

 

• A National Retail Federation’s survey shows that 24 percent of shoppers went online for back-to-school purchases in 2008 compared with 21 percent the previous year. Yahoo lets consumers compare prices from online stores such as Target and JCPenney. Mobile comparison shopping and searching for products in the nearby area are on the upswing.

 

• Parents can save a bundle on back-to-school clothing if they (or their kids) can wait for September sales, but does anyone really wait? Waiting until September may have been a traditional method to save on opportunistic buys, but with inventories more available on-line that “hot item” might not be there in September. Still, lots of kids will retain some of their back-to-school allowance to be sure they can purchase the cool items others have the first week of school.

 

• Kid’s choice – who chooses the back-to-school supplies? A shift in parenting styles allows more choice (and consumer clout) to tots through teens.

 

• It’s chic to be cheap. Fashion-conscious teenagers might learn to pair bargain finds with a single pair of premium jeans to create a budget look that fits the recession. A laptop the family already owns might be updated by a computer repair company.

 

• For retailers in college towns, the back-to-school season is almost as good as Christmas. What do savvy retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond do to attract these 18- to 21-year-olds and their parents to their stores?

 

• More colleges require or recommend laptops as wireless access becomes the norm on college campuses. This has boosted consumer electronic sales and changed the learning community.

 

Bridges can be contacted at (979) 845-0325 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Other contacts are Kelli G. Hollinger, (979) 845-5898 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and Tura King at (979) 845-4670 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

For more news about Texas A&M University, go to http://tamunews.tamu.edu.

 

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