The Great Debate: Do Moms or Kids Have More Control Over Back-to-School Shopping?

BOSTON, Aug. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Who has more control over back-to-school shopping decisions: Mom or Kids? Shoebuy.com, a leading online retailer for shoes, clothing, and accessories for the whole family, today revealed that Mom has the final say, according to the company's recent national survey. And Mom did not shy away from these revelations, even when they were incriminating.

Mom may have been honest in this survey, but 1 in every 4 respondents admitted to have lied to their children in order to avoid purchasing a back-to-school item that was on their kids' wish lists. Looks like Mom doesn't always tell the truth after all, but this may be because she is also trying to save a buck.

With 70 percent of moms saying they are more concerned with finding good deals over what their kids want for the new school year, moms may be opting for a quantity over quality approach to back-to-school shopping. In fact, only a select 8 percent of respondents care strongly about their children having high-quality brand names or being trendy.

But all that quantity adds up – close to 50 percent said they spend over $150 per child on back-to-school shoes, clothes, and accessories, with 20 percent spending more than a whopping $200. That comes to a bill of $600 for a family of three school-aged children. 1 in 4 also spend more time shopping for back-to-school fashion needs than classroom needs.

"We came across some real conversation starters around moms' back-to-school shopping priorities, and were particularly excited to learn that online shopping is helping moms get what they need and ensure they have time to enjoy the summer," said Trisha Sweeney, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Shoebuy.com. "We're also thrilled to know that moms do take the extra time to treat themselves while prepping their families – and we are happy to assist while they navigate through the back-to-school season."

Additional findings from the survey include:

• Get Mom to the Beach: 1 in 3 moms prefer to do their kids' back-to-school shopping online so they can spend more time enjoying the sun and sand.
• One for Kids, and One for Mom: Almost 50 percent of moms would only take advantage of the back-to-school shopping season to shop for themselves if they scored a huge deal.
• Dress Code Debate: Support of school dress codes across the U.S. decreases from West to East, with 84 percent of Western respondents and only 68 percent of Northeastern respondents in agreement with existing policies.
• What Fashion Crime? When asked to reminisce about their biggest school fashion faux-pas, moms revealed parachute pants, leg warmers, and matching velour sweat-suits as their biggest style regrets (with butterfly clips, and bell-bottoms not too far behind). But lo-and-behold, these trends have all made strong comebacks since disappearing years ago!

Survey Methodology 
This survey was conducted online nationally by Google Consumer Surveys among 535 moms, ages 18-64 in August 2014.

Back-to-School Shopping Guide 
For the latest back to school styles and must-haves for kindergartners and college students and teachers alike, visit the Shoebuy Schoolhouse Shop: http://www.shoebuy.com/info/back-to-school.

About Shoebuy.com 
With more than one million products for customers to choose from, Shoebuy.com is a leading global retailer for shoes, clothing and accessories for shoppers seeking the best variety and brands. The Shoebuy.com customer experience extends beyond shoes through the company's broad portfolio of products, as well as the exclusive Events.Shoebuy.com featuring invitation-only private sales. Shoebuy.com was founded in 1999 and is an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI). Learn more at Shoebuy.com, connect with us on Twitter @Shoebuy, follow us on Pinterest or visit our Facebook page.

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Contact:
Megan Hand
SHIFT Communications
617.779.1806
[email protected] 

SOURCE Shoebuy.com