COLUMBIA, S.C. - Teenagers who struggled through recession may be wearing that experience on their sleeve.
A retail expert at the University of South Carolina says that young people ages 13-to-17 have shifted away from clothing and accessories with large logos in favor of subtler choices.
“This is a very new thing,” Marianne Bickle, director of the Center for Retailing and chairman of the retailing department at USC’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. “It probably started maybe 18 months ago, but we’re feeling the impact over the last nine months.”
She said this younger age group, as opposed to 18-to-24-year-olds, is looking for clothing linked to experiences and pointed to Nike and Ralph Lauren as prime examples. Bickle said trend came about after teens 13-17 saw themselves, their parents or their friends’ parents struggle with joblessness.
The result: Less spending money available for teens.
For some of the teens, the recession will leave a lasting effect on their fiscal attitudes, she said.
Bickle said retailers’ response to the shift, gathered from surveys and focus groups, is evident on any back-to-school shopping trip.
“Stores that cater to 13-to-17-year-olds are absolutely taking big logos off of their shirts,” said Bickle.
She pointed to news in the Wall Street Journal last month that Abercrombie & Fitch plans to strip its logos from most of its apparel.
Which brands are teens now shunning?
“I don’t talk negatively against any brand or company,” said Bickle. “But when you just see their logo plastered repeatedly, that’s not what teens are really going for. They want to feel cool and hip and they want to have a vibe ... . They want to feel like they truly are themselves, individuals. They’re authentic. By mixing and matching products they can do that, as opposed to being a walking billboard.”
Although teens have developed more frugal tastes, they’re still spending.
Teenagers will spend $913 million on their own school items, according to the National Retail Federation. The organization’s back-to-school report found that 34 percent of shoppers plan to buy more generic products because of the economy.
High school students will spend an average $232.01 on clothing and accessories and $124.25 on shoes, according to the federation’s back-to-school report.
