Study: Teen girls get social for back-to-school

New York – Teen girls are known for being social, and they are staying true to form for the back-to-school season. According to a study of 1.035 teen girls by Teen Vogue and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), 75% of respondents will use their smartphone to seek out back-to-school inspirations and ideas.



On average, teen girls spend 2.5 hours per day on social media researching fashion and style. Instagram is the top social media platform in this demographic, followed by Snapchat. Sixty-eight percent will use their smartphone to research back-to-school deals and promotions, and 43% will visit a store or brand’s mobile website.



However, 59% of teen girls will primarily shop in-store for back-to-school purchases, while 35% will shop in-store and online and 6% will shop online. Eighty-six percent will visit fast fashion stores; 64% will visit department stores; and 54% will visit specialty chain stores. Online, 62% will visit fast fashion sites; 38% will visit e-commerce sites; and 36% will visit department store sites. Forty-one percent will return an online order in-store if it’s wrong.



Teen girls like malls for back-to-school shopping – 73% like that so many stores are in one place, 44% like in-store promotions, 33% like shopping with friends and 25% discover new brands there.



Looking at timing of back-to-school shopping, 47% of teen girls will begin before school starts but continue through the fall, 36% will buy almost everything during the few weeks before school and 16% will take one big trip before the start of school. Other findings include:



• The average respondent will purchase 20 back-to-school items.

• Everyday casual clothing is the most important product category.

• The number one individual item is a great bag, followed by perfect fitting denim.