Exercise 3: Changes in teenage shopping habits 3

 

Changes in teenage shopping habits 3

3Choose the correct answer. 

Teenagers shopping

For many teenagers and their parents, early September means a trip to the shopping centre to buy stationery and clothes for the new school year. 'We're buying notebooks, pens, highlighters, sticky notes and memory sticks', says Jasmine, 15, 'but I'm not sure about clothes. I think I'll wait and see. I'm definitely not buying all my clothes for the school year now. Fashions change so quickly. How do I know what's going to be on trend in December?' This is an example of how teenagers are changing the way they buy clothes.

Erik, 15, says, 'I like to look at fashion websites and see what my friends are wearing before I buy something. I'm not spending all my money on clothes now.'

Shops are responding to this change in spending habits. Large fashion chains change their stock every week. These shops are becoming more popular with teenagers because they offer so many clothes that are fashionable. One chain offers about 15,000 styles each year – much more than other retailers.

The manager of another fashion chain, Dale Freeman, says, 'We produce smaller numbers of each style, but we change the styles more often. Changing the stock means that teenagers come into our stores more often and spend money during the year, not just at back-to-school time.'

Teenagers now have more ways to follow fashion trends. They can use social media to see what their friends are buying. There are fashion blogs where people chat and share pictures online and there are celebrity websites and magazines showing what famous people are wearing.

Some teenagers use the Internet to do some comparison shopping before they buy. Emily, 17, says, 'I usually go online first and check all the prices at the different shops.' Others go to the shop first and then go online. This is called 'showrooming.' 'For more expensive items, like trainers or jackets, I usually go to the shop first and try them on' says Erik, 'Then I go online to buy them. It's usually cheaper and the delivery is almost always free.'

There's no doubt that shopping habits are changing. Teenage shoppers today know what they are looking for and they know how to get the best bargains.

• 1Teenagers go online to find cheaper clothes.

• 2Shops are making smaller amounts of clothes.

• 3Some large fashion chains change their stock every week.

• 4Teenagers think it is more interesting to buy clothes during the year.

• 5Comparison shopping is when you look online to see the prices.

• 6Erik compares expensive items online, before going to the shop.

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