Insights Flash: CE Data Reveals Families Favored Single-Brand Apparel and Multi-Brand Footwear Retailers This Back-to-School Season

With the 2024 school year just starting in the US, we leverage CE transaction data to determine which brands are most dependent on households with children and who won in this year’s important back-to-school shopping season.

Top 20: Brands Most Dependent on Households with Children

In August 2024, Family and Children/Tween Apparel brands with distinctive style profiles like Boden, Hollister, Pacsun, and Aeropostale derived over 60% of their sales from households with children, topping the list among medium to large apparel-related companies. 

Footwear marketplaces and retailers like GOAT and Shoe Carnival are among the brands most reliant on families to make purchases during the month of August.

Top 20: Brands That See Increased Dependence on Households with Children in August

CE data shows that Under Armour derives 63% of its August sales volume from households with children, up from 57% for the entire year, highlighting the importance of the back-to-school season for this brand.  

Footwear retailers like Shoe Carnival, Finish Line, Boot Barn, and Rack Room Shoes experienced a 5 point increase in dependence on these households in August, indicating that parents and students may see the convenience of a one-store for all their needs as an important aspect of back-to-school shopping.

Back-to-School Winners

In addition to looking at which brands depend heavily on this key demographic, CE data also reveals which brands saw the greatest growth in spend among households with children during this important shopping period. During the 2024 back-to-school season, many Family Apparel and Athletic brands rose to the top.  

  • Quince, a brand which promises quality at value prices, saw strong YoY growth in the month of August, likely as families needed to outfit children at reasonable prices.  
  • Lifestyle brands like Vuori Clothing and Tuckernuck also rose to the top, suggesting that families may also splurge a little more to set up for success in the new school year.
  • Brands such as Rally House and JD Sports likely benefited both from college students and many young students wanting to represent their favorite teams throughout the school year.  

Bright spots during this back-to-school season could indicate consumer resilience for occasion shopping even amid an uncertain macroeconomic environment. Looking to the shortened holiday season later this year, monitoring CE data will be key to understanding how shifts in consumer spending patterns impact different industries.

Consumer Edge is the leading provider of alternative data for consumer spending and the sole source of global revenue signals. To gain insights into apparel, accessories, and footwear, market intelligence, and trends, request a demo of CE products.

About the Authors

Katherine Bjorkman is the Director of Insights for the CEIC. Explore more of her insights here and follow her on LinkedIn.

Rachel Zucker is an Insights Analyst for the CEIC. Follow her on LinkedIn.

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