At Cutie Patuties Consignment in Leominster, MA, Back-To-School Doesn't Mean “Breaking the Bank”

LEOMINSTER, Mass. - Aug. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- The back to school shopping season is the second largest consumer spending time of the year after the winter holidays. Parents with growing children need to replace and replenish what their children had from the last school season. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2014 Back to School Survey (https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/demand-clothing-supplies-electronics-drives-schoolcollege-spending), the average family with children in grades K-12 will spend $669.28 on apparel, shoes, supplies and electronics, up 5% from $634.78 last year. Not surprisingly, families with high school students will spend the most. The survey found the average family shopping for high school students will spend $682.99, while spending on middle school/junior high comes in a close second at $682.13. Parents with elementary school-age children will spend an average of $580.94.

Clothing and accessories remains the largest spending category. Average back-to-school spending by category per family is estimated to be:

• Clothing and Accessories: $231.30
• Shoes: $124.46
• Electronics/Computers: $212.34
• School Supplies: $101.18

While per person spending for school-age children in grades K-12 is expected to increase 5% this year, “back to college” costs even more. The survey showed that the average student will spend $916.48 on new apparel, dorm furniture, school supplies, electronics and more—up 10% from the $836.83 spent last year. Total back to college spending is expected to reach $48.4 billion. 2014 back to college and K-12 back to school spending combined will reach $74.9 billion.

Back to school shopping is big business for merchants, but it does NOT have to break the bank account. From Kindergarten to College... students can be outfitted at resale stores like Cutie Patuties Consignment Store in Leominster for a fraction of the original price.  Resale shops are a great source for clothing. They stock good quality, current style apparel at great prices—especially appreciated since children outgrow their clothes so quickly.

Parents who remain cautious in how and where they spend their back to school dollars this year are recognizing resale shopping as the solution to their budget concerns. Cutie Patuties owner, Cassandra Abramson says, “Recycling is “in” this year because it’s about saving some cash, preventing unused items from heading to landfills, and it’s just fun. Outfitting your children for the first day of school doesn’t have to break the bank this year. Resale shops offer a wealth of reasonably priced, trendy clothes. The affordability of resale shopping helps parents send their children back to school in style."

The economy not only impacts how people shop... it impacts where they shop. According to the survey, up to 22.5% of people will shop in resale and thrift stores this back to school shopping season.

Send your kids back to school in style by shopping smart... which means shopping resale! Here are a few tips on how to shop sensibly:

• Make a list before you go shopping. It will keep you on track and save you from impulse buying.
• Do an inventory of what you have so you can build on it by looking for coordinating pieces.
• This is also a good time to recycle clothing your child has outgrown consigning it at Cutie Patuties Consignment store, giving you cash to spend on this year's clothes.
• Involve your children in the back-to-school budget and teach them to comparison shop. Help them identify their "wants and needs" then ask which items they consider "essential."  Show them how they can do their part in recycling by giving clothes a second life.
• Play stylist with your children... trying to create as many looks as possible with a few pieces. Many outfit combinations can be created by layering.
• Get started early and visit your favorite resale shops often as new things come in every day.
• Shop during the state sales tax holiday—if your state has one. In some state's, the tax holiday coincides with back to school shopping time.
• You do not have to buy everything at once. A few new outfits will get your children started and gives them time to access the trends. You can add during the year as you discover great new bargains at your favorite resale shop.
• Shop at resale stores for clothes and accessories. It is not unusual to see price tags of $100 or more on an outfit at a department store. Why spend $100 when you can spend $25 or less for the same or higher quality goods at your local consignment store?

Trendy teens have embraced resale shopping in a big way! They are trying to save money... and help the environment. Whether they are looking for name brands in good condition or the popular vintage accessories, there is a resale shop to meet their taste. Teens are savvy shoppers who realize the importance of value and quality. A lot of young people these days want to take something unique and make it their own style, so resale shops can really cater to them. It’s also a great way for them to earn some cash when they clean out their own closets and bring their unwanted items to the store to consign.

Clothes are only the beginning of the back to school shopping list. At Cutiques, ETC. Consignment in downtown Leominster, the makings of a dorm room or new apartment are all there. Cutiques offers a huge selection of furniture and home goods from bed frames to desks to kitchen tables to dishes and tableware. Cutiques’ inventory also includes 100s of wall decorations and framed art so your walls never need to go bare.

About Everything Cutie, Inc. Consignment Stores (ECI)

Cassandra and Neil Abramson opened their first consignment store, Cutie Patuties Children’s Store in 1998 to serve the community with a family friendly shopping experience. Today ECI Stores has four thriving upscale consignment stores in Leominster, MA offering quality, gentle used products. Cutie Patuties (http://www.cutiepatuties.com) specializes in children’s clothing and supplies; Q-Teen (http://shopqteens.com) specializes in teen clothing; CP & Company (http://www.shopcpandcompany.com) specializes in misses, petites and plus sizes for ladies clothing and accessories; and Cutiques ETC (http://www.cutiquesetc.com) offers household merchandise and consignment furniture. To learn more, visit http://www.ecistores.com.