Power Position Group Inc. Investigates Latest Back-to-School Spending Figures

GOLD RIVER, Calif. - Aug. 20, 2013 - PRLog -- It seems that in preparation for the start of the school year, parents have started to buy supplies earlier than ever before. According to the National Retail Federation’s annual spending survey, almost 25% of parents started to do their back-to-school shopping at least two months before the school year is due to begin. This is an increase of almost 23% compared to last year.

So why have parents started their back-to-school shopping so early this year? Experts suggest that it’s because of back-to-school events which have started to take place in department stores, shopping malls and grocery stores across the country. These events, such as the Back to Class Cyber Monday event hosted by Wal-Mart that took place in mid-August, encourage parents to buy supplies early because they offer reduced prices.

We asked lead generation, advertising and sales company Power Position Group Inc. for their input on this new trend in school supplies shopping. Company-owner John L. Reed II said, “It’s no surprise that parents are buying supplies earlier if they think they are going to save money. Retailers are taking advantage of the fact that we associate preparedness with economy, and are hosting sales events early on in the summer vacation to encourage parents to spend more money.”

And, when you consider the amount of money that the average household will spend on back-to-school supplies for one child, it’s hardly surprising that parents across America are trying to save a little cash. The survey by the NRF claims that parents will spend $577 on supplies for elementary school students, $783 for middle school students and $1,223 for a high school student. Each of these figures represents an increase of between five and 10% on the same period last year.

The NRF suggests that the increase in these figures is in part due to the type of products that parents are buying for their children. The amount of tablet computers and other portable computing equipment bought for school use has increased, as has the number of school children who own a cell phone or smart phone of their own.

It seems that a shockingly high amount of money is being spent on every school child in the country. So where is this money being spent? An overwhelming majority of parents spend their money in person, with 39% of parents doing at least some of their back-to-school shopping at department stores, 37% at specialized office supplies stores and 35% at the mall. However, 27% of parents admitted to doing at least some of their back-to-school shopping online.

What do these figures mean? It seems that the majority of parents are happy with the deals they can get on back-to-school supplies in high footfall areas, as most parents say that they do at least some of their shopping in person by going to the mall or another store. However, the fact that a huge 27% of parents buy at least some of their supplies online suggests that an increasing number of parents are turning to the Internet as the source for their supplies.

This means that lead generation, sales and marketing groups like Power Position Group Inc. have to work harder than ever before to coax shoppers away from their computers and into the shops. 
 

Power Position Group Inc. Investigates Latest Consumer Confidence Figures

Recent figures have been released which suggest that, for the first time in many years, the average consumer has more confidence in the US economy.

The Bloomsberg Consumer Comfort Index is a measure of how American people rate the state of the national economy and their own personal finances, and indicates how comfortable people are to spend money at any given time. It is a weekly index with four figures released every month, and the figures for the week ending on August 4^th suggest that consumers have more confidence in the economy than at any point since the start of the recession.

The Index rose to minus 23.5 at the start of August, which is the most positive figure it has shown since January 2008. People in every income bracket, with the exception of one, indicated that they were feeling more confident in the economy, meaning that confidence is increasing across the board.

What’s more, the number of people becoming unemployed is also falling, while the number of jobs being created is relatively consistent. In July, 162,000 new workers entered employment, and the number of unemployed people dropped by 0.2 percent to 7.4 percent of the population.

Critics have scrutinized these figures, saying that the unemployment and underemployment rate is still much too high. However, the Obama administration is pleased with these figures but understands that there is still a long way to go. Alan Krueger, the head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said, “With recovery entering its fifth year, we need to build on the progress we have made so far.”

 

Power Position Group Capitalizes on Trends in Consumer Behavior

So what do these figures, and the rise in consumer confidence, mean for sales and marketing companies such as Power Position Group Inc.? We spoke to figures from management about their progress over the last few years. 

A spokesperson from the company said, “When consumer confidence in the economy is down, and spending is down as we have seen since the start of the recession, our job is much more difficult. People are less willing to part with their hard-earned money, and they become hardened to sales and marketing initiatives.

“On the one hand, this poses a challenge for us, as requires a lot more innovation to create successful campaigns and promotions. On the other, it gives us a chance to go a little wild with our ideas, to be more creative than ever before in an attempt to get through to people”.

Based on what Power Position Group Inc. said, it seems that some of the most creative and imaginative campaigns are devised in tough economic times, when people need an extra push to spend their money.


About Power Position Group Inc.

Power Position Group Inc. is one of the leading experts in the sales and marketing industry. Its clients are mainly companies from the energy and home improvement sectors, but the group works with a wide range of clients from many different sectors.

In an age where online retailers are providing tough competition for in-store retailers, Power Position Group Inc. aims to encourage people to support their local community by buying goods from local stores. The company believes that consumers actually want in-person conversation instead of sitting at a computer screen and believes that consumers would prefer to go into a store and pick up their goods directly instead of waiting around for them to be delivered. As such, all of its campaigns are based in stores and use good old-fashioned conversation.