According to an RBC Capital Markets survey of 1,400 consumers, 70 percent of respondents “plan to” or “have spent” “the same” to “much more” on back-to-school shopping vs. last year. Strong August retail sales have carried over into early September. Stores most shopped at for clothing included Gap, Old Navy, Kohl’s, Target, JC Penney and Walmart, followed by American Eagle Outfitters and Aeropostale. Discounters continue to perform well as consumers are focused on price and fashion. Survey results fall in line with a trend noted in a Scarborough Research/Arbitron Inc. study on mall shopping habits that revealed that teens between the ages of 12 and 17 are spending more money, but on less expensive items. The survey revealed that teens were more likely to look for discounts, coupons and other deals, as 75 percent of those surveyed said that discounts were more important than they used to be, 52 percent said they chose to shop at less expensive stores and 48 percent said they used coupons more often.
According to Teen Store Developers, teens and the parents shopping for them may be spending more money, but discount retailers and other shops appealing to teens are likely here to stay. Teen Store Developers went on to note the importance of appealing to the specific teenage demographic as a more expensive retailer would, just without the high markups on products. This includes fashionable or trendy store layout, popular music and quality products. Teen Stores that follow a discount model similar to the one laid out by dollar stores may see even higher returns in the future.