CourierPostOnline.com: Parents Hit The Stores

August 13, 2006 -- For parents and children, back-to-school shopping is an annual rite of passage, a ritual that involves stocking up on paper and trying on new shoes.

"I try to focus just on school so I can finish the whole thing in a few days," said Nakiesha Williams, a Westville mother of three. "The clothes, the supplies, the backpacks, all the little things."

For retailers and consumers alike, it's a lot like Christmas -- only smaller and earlier in the year.

In fact, the jingling of cash registers now is widely regarded as a sign of things to come for the winter holidays, when retailers realize their largest gains.

"The back-to-school shopping season serves as an important bellwether for the holiday season by helping retailers pinpoint emerging trends and popular products," said Tracy Mullin, CEO of the National Retail Federation, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group. "Retailers will be tracking the performance of apparel and electronics to ensure that their stores have the right merchandise mix for the fourth quarter."

Williams estimates her family will spend $600 to $700 outfitting her two older children, Cahja, 8, and Kevin, 4, a bit more than the $456.38 the NRF expects the typical parent in the Northeast to spend. That's a dip from the average tab of $513.07 in 2005.

She is postponing back-to-school shopping in order to care for a new baby, Marcus, born in July. The NPD Group, a New York-based market research firm, said other shoppers are holding off, too.

Marshall Cohen, NPD's chief analyst, blamed high gasoline prices and a paucity of exciting new products for the delay. A survey by WSL Strategic Retail said 50 percent of shoppers are spending less to make up for the cost of fuel.

NPD predicts the winning retailers this year will include JCPenney and Kohl's, which offer both quality and attractive prices on such back-to-school staples as jeans. Target also is expected to be a leader in apparel, while Wal-Mart is a destination for supplies.

Williams said she will do most of her shopping at discounters, including Burlington Coat Factory, Forman Mills, Wal-Mart and Kmart.

That's in keeping with a Corporate Research International poll of parents with children in grades K through 8 in which 71 percent of respondents said price was the top factor in choosing where to shop. That's a 7 percent increase over last year.

"The economic pressures of today, including gasoline and electric costs, are forcing people to be more reliant on price," said Michael Mallet, CRI CEO. "People are looking for ways to cut discretionary spending as much as possible."

That gets more difficult as children grow older and add big-ticket electronics to their back-to-school lists. According to a ShopLocal.com survey of kids ages 13 to 17, 70 percent of teens want to start the school year with a new personal computer.

"We're seeing a great deal of interest in some less traditional school supplies," said CEO Brian Hand. "Among some of the biggest searches are MP3 players -- iPods, specifically -- and cell phones."

The poll also revealed youths' enduring affection for designer labels, including Adidas, American Eagle, Nike and Northface. JanSport was the most requested backpack. A multichannel online retail resource, ShopLocal.com is owned by the McClatchy Co. and Gannett Co. Inc., parent of the Courier-Post.

David Judge of Cherry Hill is only 9 but he knows a hot brand when he sees one. He will be going back to Clara Barton School in trendy Etnies his mom Karen bought at Journeys, a name-brand footwear destination at Cherry Hill Mall. His 6-year-old sister Kylie will be wearing hip Heelys.

"Getting new shoes is a big part of getting ready for school and it's a cool store," Karen Judge said.

She has been shopping at sales since July, stocking up on clothes, backpacks, lunch boxes and school supplies. Her retailers of choice: JCPenney, Kohl's and Target.

"We're getting down to the wire now," she said. "I only have a few more things left to buy."