Back to School - UK - August 2007

Table of Contents

• Issues in the Market
• Other issues
• Definition
• Abbreviations
• Market in Brief
• Strong market for ' Back to School' items
• Fewer schools and pupils
• Families in decline
• Pricing highs and lows
• The cost of schooling
• Mum holds the purse strings
• Supermarkets vs specialist
• Quality matters
• Supermarket sweep -- Asda the leading uniform seller
• Schools are an opportunity
• The wonder of Woolies
• Sports stores gaining ground
• Fashion factors
• Government guidance
• Size matters
• Environmental and ethical issues
• Educational impact of technology
• Room for both in the future
• Industry Insight
• Key points
• A highly seasonal business
• Year round offer is a service
• Supermarkets' advertising power
• Over-pricing a myth or reality?
• Quality is the new currency
• Government intervention
• Uniforms are as popular as ever
• Parents and children equally important
• Fashion is the shape of things to come
• Size is a big issue
• Tax low on parents' agenda
• Internet offers benefits for all
• Eco and ethical emerging issues
• The future has its challenges
• Internal Market Environment
• Key points
• School numbers
  • Figure 1: Schools in the UK, academic year 1990/91-2005/06
  • Figure 2: School pupils, by type of school, UK, 1990-2006
• Home schooling
• School leaving age
• Fashion
  • Figure 3: The amount of say 11-14 year olds have about what they wear, 2005 and 2007
  • Figure 4: Agreement with statements on fashion and appearance, aged 7-14, by gender, 2006
• Technology
  • Figure 5: Household ownership of PCs, 2001-06
• Health issues
• The tax issue
• Number of children per family
  • Figure 6: Household size, UK, 2003-12
• One parent families
  • Figure 7: Dependent children by family type, 1997-2006
• Government consultation process
• OFT enquiry
• Uniform trend
• The cost of free schooling
• Formation of Schoolwear Association
• Broader Market Environment
• Key points
• Economy
• Inflation and interest rates
  • Figure 8: Percentage change in CPI, all goods and clothing and footwear, UK, 2001-06
  • Figure 9: Interest rates, 2001-07
• Unemployment
  • Figure 10: UK workforce and employment, by gender, 2002-12
• PDI and consumer spending
  • Figure 11: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2002-12
• Population trends
  • Figure 12: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2002-12
• Number of children
  • Figure 13: Trends in the number of children, 2002-12
• Families
  • Figure 14: Forecast adult population trends, by lifestage, 2002-12
• A more affluent population
  • Figure 15: Adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2002-12
• Lifestyle trends
  • Figure 16: Attitudes towards the environment, 2002-07
  • Figure 17: ' I would be prepared to pay more for environmentally-friendly products' , by lifestage and gender, 2007 Q3
• Ethical labour
  • Figure 18: Environmental and ethical issues, which are of concern, October 2006
• Market in Context
• Key points
• School uniform vs childrenswear trends
  • Figure 19: Market shares of childrenswear and schoolwear, by type of outlet, 2005 and 2006
• Sports clothing
  • Figure 20: Comparison of spending on sports clothing and uniform purchases at sports shops, 2002-07
• Footwear
  • Figure 21: Comparison of spending on footwear and school footwear, 2002-07
• Stationery
  • Figure 22: UK retail sales of paper-based personal stationery and writing instruments, by value, 2002-07
  • Figure 23: UK retail sales of paper-based personal stationery, by outlet type, 2002-06
• Bags and rucksacks
  • Figure 24: UK retail sales of rucksacks, at current prices, 2002-07
• Overall expenditure vs spending on school items
  • Figure 25: Schoolwear and stationery, as a share of occasional and total consumer expenditure, 2006
• Expenditure on children' s clothes vs schoolwear
  • Figure 26: UK retail sales of childrenswear (0-15) and schoolwear, 2002-07
• Strengths and Weaknesses in the Market
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Market Size and Forecast
• Key points
  • Figure 27: Consumer spending on back to school items*, at current and constant 2002 prices, 2002-07
• School uniform
  • Figure 28: Consumer spending on school uniform, at current and constant 2002 prices, 2002-07
• Future
• Forecast
  • Figure 29: Market size and forecast for ' back to school' items, at current and constant 2007 prices, 2002-12
• Factors incorporated in the forecast
• The Consumer -- How Much is Spent
• Key points
• The cost of schooling
  • Figure 30: Average spend per child on ' back to school' items, last 12 months, by key socio-economic groups, May 2007
  • Figure 31: Average spend by number of retailers where school clothing and footwear bought, last 12 months, May 2007
  • Figure 32: Average spend by number of stores where school stationery items bought from, last 12 months, May 2007
• How Much is Spent -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
  • Figure 33: Average spend per child, by marital status, lifestage, children' s ages in household, region, ACORN categories, Internet usage, newspapers used, commercial TV viewing and supermarket used, May 2007
  • Figure 34: Average spend per child on ' back to school' items, by marital status, children' s ages in household, region, ACORN categories, Internet usage, newspapers used, commercial TV viewing and supermarket used, May 2007
• The Consumer -- Where School Items are Bought
• Key points
• Schoolwear and footwear
  • Figure 35: Retailer where school clothing and footwear was bought, last 12 months, May 2007
  • Figure 36: Retailer where school clothing and footwear bought, last 12 months, by key socio-economic groups, May 2007
  • Figure 37: Retailer where school clothing and footwear bought, last 12 months, by key socio-economic groups, May 2007
• Consumer repertoire
  • Figure 38: Number of retailers where school clothing and footwear bought, last 12 months, May 2007
  • Figure 39: Number of retailers where school clothing and footwear bought, last 12 months, by retailer, May 2007
• Stationery
  • Figure 40: Main retailers where school stationery items bought from, last 12 months, by key socio-economic groups, May 2007
  • Figure 41: Retailers where school stationery items bought from, last 12 months, by key socio-economic groups, May 2007
  • Figure 42: Retailers where school stationery items bought from, last 12 months, by key socio-economic groups, May 2007
• Stationery retailers
  • Figure 43: Number of stores customers bought from, last 12 months, May 2007
  • Figure 44: Number of stores bought from, by retailer, last 12 months, by retailer, May 2007
• Where School Items are Bought -- Detailed Consumer Demographics
  • Figure 45: Retailer where school clothing and footwear are bought, last 12 months, byregion, ACORN categories, media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket used, May 2007
  • Figure 46: Retailer where school clothing and footwear bought, last 12 months, by region, ACORN categories, media usage, commercial TV viewing and supermarket used, May 2007
  • Figure 47: Retailers where school stationery items bought from, last 12 months, region, ACORN categories, media usage, comercial TV viewing and supermarket used, May 2007
• Retail Competitor Analysis
• Key points
  • Figure 69: Comparison of leading ' back to school' retailers, May 2007
• Main retailers' strengths and weaknesses
  • Figure 70: Comparison of leading ' back to school' retailers, May 2007
• Retailer Profiles
• Uniform specialists
• National Schoolwear Centres
• Background
• Financial performance
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Operational issues
• Advertising and marketing
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• John Cheatle Group
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 71: Financial performance, 2001-06
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Non-specialists
• Marks & Spencer
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 72: Marks & Spencer financial performance, 2003-07
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Advertising and marketing
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Woolworths Group Plc
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 73: Financial performance, 2003-07
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Advertising and marketing
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Bhs Group Ltd
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 74: Bhs Ltd, financial performance, 2002-06
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• John Lewis Plc
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 75: John Lewis Partnership: Group financial performance, 2002/3-2006/07
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Advertising and marketing
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Asda
• Background
• Financial performance
• Figure 76: Asda, financial performance, 2001-07
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Operational issues
• Advertising and marketing
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Tesco
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 77: Tesco Plc, financial performance, 2002-07
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Operational issues
• Advertising and marketing
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Sports Direct International Plc (formerly Sports World International)
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 78: Sports direct International, financial performance, 2001/02-05/06
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• C&J Clark Group
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 79: C&J Clark Group: Group financial performance, 2001/02-05/06
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Operational issues
• Advertising and marketing
• E-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• WH Smith Group Plc
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 80: WH Smith UK: Group financial performance, 2002-06
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• Operational issues
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Ryman/Partners (Chancerealm Ltd)
• Background
• Financial performance
  • Figure 81: Ryman/Partners, 2002-06
• Store portfolio
• Retail offering
• e-commerce and home shopping
• Strategic evaluation
• Retail Advertising and Promotion
• Total spending
  • Figure 82: Advertising expenditure on ' back to school' items, by retailer, 2002-07