As the new school year approaches, UK parents are entering back to school season, which means navigating time and financial pressures, to ensure their children are prepared for September.
To understand the pressures of this period, Sports Direct has commissioned new research1, revealing how much parents spend per child, as well as how much time and preparation goes into the yearly routine.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 3.7 million UK families have one dependent child with a further 1.2 million having three or more, meaning millions of parents could be set to spend a staggering average of £155.95 per child – or as much as £467.853 – on school uniform essentials.
Parents’ shopping timelines revealed
When it comes to shopping timelines, the study highlights the first purchase will be made on outer jackets or coats, 18 days before the first day back, followed by trousers or shorts, dresses or skirts, jumpers or cardigans, blazers or smart jackets, PE kits, and school backpacks.
Items that parents wait the longest to buy are school shoes, shirts or polos, PE trainers, and socks or tights, usually around 16 days ahead of children returning to the classroom.
Lacey Roebuck, commercial manager at Sports Direct, comments: “Whilst our research has shown that parents shop for school uniform on average 18-16 days prior to the start of term, if you want your items to get their wear, we would advise leaving it later, as close to their first day as possible, especially if your children are still young.
“By purchasing items in the days leading up, such as school shoes, you ensure a better fit that will last longer throughout the year, avoiding the need for early replacements due to growth spurts.”
Back to school preparations and beyond
Parents are also dedicating an average of 10 hours on back to school preparations, including shopping, trying on uniforms, and washing them before the start of term. However, over one in five (21%) report spending between 13 – 24 hours in total.
Turning our attention to beyond the start of school, the research explored the items parents are cleaning, replacing, and repairing the most as well as which have the most longevity. The top five items across each category are as follows:
Top five items cleaned the most | Top five items replaced the most | Top five items repaired the most |
1. Shirts or polos (49%) | 1. Shirts or polos (33%) | 1. Trousers or shorts (27%) |
2. Trousers or shorts (41%) | 2. Trousers or shorts (29%) | 2. Shirts or polos (17%) |
3. School shoes | 3. Socks or tights | 3. Jumpers or cardigans (15%) |
4. Dresses or skirts (22%) | 4. School shoes (25%) | =4. School shoes (12%) |
5. PE kits | 5. Dresses or skirts | =4. Blazers or smart jackets (12%) |
Shirts or polos, trousers or shorts, and school shoes appear on all three lists, and is most likely a result of them seeing the most wear and tear throughout the school day, or being most impacted by children’s growth spurts.
Looking at the uniform that stands the test of time and doesn’t require cleaning, replacing, or repairing as often, are PE trainers and school bags or backpacks.
Prolonging the life of your child’s uniform
Whilst replacing uniforms is a natural result of your child growing, parents want to avoid having to do it prematurely, whether that’s due to a ripped knee or lost item.
Roebuck shares her top three tips for ensuring durability with school uniform:
Reinforce high-wear areas with fusible interfacing
A common item among the sewing community, fusible interfacing is an inexpensive hack for reinforcing high-wear areas in your child’s uniform and is super simple to install. Gather all of their items of clothing before the term starts and cut out square pieces of iron-on fusible interfacing and attach them to the inside of areas such as knees, elbows, or hems. This will help to prevent tears and extend the garment’s life.
Use a fabric protector
If your child is prone to staining their clothes, a fabric protector will help to save the day (and their uniform). Spray each item prior to their first wear and then continue this after every few washes. It will help stains from setting in and will make any spillages easier to clean when they get home.
Consider bigger sizes and use metal poppers
Another inexpensive hack for making your child’s uniform last a little longer is buying the item in a size above their usual size, and installing metal poppers near the hem, so you can easily adjust the length of the item as they grow. This works best on items such as trousers or shorts and dresses or skirts where the length can be altered.
To view the full back to school range from Sports Direct, please visit: https://www.sportsdirect.com/
