Aug 10, 2016
Goodwill Lets Parents Save Money and Kids Define Their Back To School Style
Rochester, N.Y. – There are three words that strike both fear and joy into parents at this time of year. The three words – Back to School. Yet, the fear of overspending on Back to School can be diminished and the joy of helping kids define their individual style can be bolstered by shopping Goodwill for Back to School.
First, a little Back to School background.
According to the National Retail Foundation’s 2016 survey, K-12 parents will spend $27.3 billion on Back to School in 2016. That is a 9.6 percent increase over last year. Of that amount, $9.54 billion will be spent on clothing, and another $5.12 billion on shoes.
Individually, K-12 parents are looking at an average hit to their wallets of $235.39 for clothing for their school-age child, with shoes coming in a close second at $126.35. Throw in back packs, school supplies, and any other “must haves” on the teacher’s supply list, and there is no question why parents have been trying to stick to a back to school spending budget even though the total growth in spending for back to school has increased by 54.8 percent in the last decade.
“The total dollar amount spent on Back to School shopping is staggering,” says Mary Boland, Vice President of Communications and Community Relations at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes. “Savvy parents know that they can make their money go further by shopping for Back to School at Goodwill.”
Boland points out that while parents know Goodwill provides good bargains that stretch dollars spent on Back to School clothing, shoes, and accessories their kids know that shopping Goodwill empowers them to define their personal fashion sense.
“The kids can express their individuality with the selection of items Goodwill has from all parts of the fashion universe,” says Boland, noting, “Shopping Goodwill for Back to School isn’t about fitting in. It isn’t about the brands. Yes, you can find name brand and designer label clothing at a fraction of the cost. But what you find at Goodwill that is unique is the opportunity to be a fashion pioneer. Kids can develop their own style. They’re able to express their individuality. They aren’t held back by what other people think.”
And as parents buy items for back to school, Boland encourages them to donate the clothing, shoes, and other items their children have outgrown to Goodwill. The revenue from the sale of these items will help Goodwill continue to provide services for people in need in the community. And, it will help the environment by adding to the 20 million pounds of items that Goodwill diverts from ending up in local landfills every year.