As the initial results came in for this year’s back-to-school retail spending forecasts, the numbers were about where I thought they might be: down a couple of percentage points. It’s a modest dip, and certainly nothing to be alarmed about given the degree to which back-to-school spending has spiked over the last decade (average back-to-school spending has increased 42 percent over the last 10 year period). So why is it that these numbers are raising some eyebrows among industry analysts and observers?
back to school
Retail trends: Denim is hot, ‘bro tanks’ are not
Krystina Gustafson / CNBC – Could shoppers finally give apparel retailers the break they so desperately need? There’s no denying that it’s been a rough slog for the clothing industry as consumers increasingly shift their spending from things to experiences, opt for lower-price fashions and refuse to purchase an item if it isn’t on sale. […]
Middle-class shoppers more sensitive to back-to-school supply costs
Rick Romell & Kylie Gumbert / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The giant pencil cutouts screaming “One Big Sale Here” throughout the Target store are a dead giveaway: This is the country’s second-biggest shopping season. And for the great majority of Americans, the annual back-to-school extravaganza is unfolding across an increasingly price-sensitive […]
School shoppers put low prices 1st
Rick Rommell & Kylie Gumbert / Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel – WEST MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The giant pencil cutouts screaming “One Big Sale Here” throughout the Target store are a dead giveaway: This is the country’s second-biggest shopping season.
And for the great majority of Americans, the annual back-to-school extravaganza is unfolding across an increasingly price-sensitive landscape.
Cash-strapped, middle-class parents are being economically challenged by ever-growing lists that have expanded beyond protractors and No. 2 pencils to include graphing calculators, flash drives and Handi Wipes.
Retailers, meanwhile, have started a wave of promotions as they vie more and more on price alone — potentially pinching their bottom lines and signaling a hypercompetitive environment for the critical holiday season just three months away.
Middle-class shoppers more sensitive to back-to-school supply costs
Rick Romell and Kylie Gumbert / Miwaukee Journal-Sentinel – The giant pencil cutouts screaming “One Big Sale Here” throughout the Target store on Miller Park Way are a dead giveaway: This is the country’s second-biggest shopping season.
And for the great majority of Americans, the annual back-to-school extravaganza is unfolding across an increasingly price-sensitive landscape.
Cash-strapped, middle-class parents are being economically challenged by ever-growing lists that have expanded beyond protractors and No. 2 pencils to include graphing calculators, flash drives and Handi Wipes.
2013 Holiday Season: A Lump of Coal?
By Jeff Green—Most retailers have already begun rolling out their holiday shopping programs and initiatives to try to get shoppers thinking earlier—and more often—about the holidays. Despite this effort, I’ve seen several key indicators recently that could signal a flat holiday shopping season for retailers, including soft back-to-school shopping numbers and sluggish Halloween figures. Regardless, […]
