The current air of uncertainty surrounding the economy has started to affect parents, who have changed their back-to-school shopping habits.
Traditionally, January was characterized by a shopping frenzy as parents scrambled to purchase all their kids’ uniforms before the start of the new school year.
However, research by clothing retailer Pep indicates that more and more parents are choosing to spread the cost of buying uniforms throughout the year, rather than at one go.
There is also an indication that shoppers are buying fewer items, but they look for quality when doing so. They want tougher clothes, stain resistance features, better quality fabric, bigger hems that allow for alterations and anything that adds value and prolongs the life of the schoolwear they buy.
With this in mind the retailer has recently launched an exclusive range of Toughees clothing, which is teflon coated to allow for stain release and promotes durability of the garments.
PEP will also be expanding its Student Prince Academies programme in 2009, with two more facilities in the Johannesburg area, in addition to the four academies already in operation.
Under the scheme, endorsed by the department of education, nearly a thousand grade four learners will receive competence training in literacy, numeracy and life skills three times a week.
PEP MD George Steyn says: “Although it’s a multi-million rand project, it is still a small start for PEP. While we’re awaiting official results for the first year of the scheme, the signs are very promising – the academies are working well.”
“If we see marked improvement in the children’s skills, we will expand this initiative further in the future”.