Parents ‘typically spending £117 per child on clothing this winter’

Parents expect to spend £117 per child on average clothing youngsters over the winter, a survey indicates.

Nearly nine in 10 (89%) parents will buy new coats, 86% will invest in new jumpers, and 80% will purchase replacement wellington boots as the weather turns colder, according to buy now, pay later provider Clearpay.

Nearly a third (32%) of parents surveyed said they buy their children new clothes to keep them on trend.

Clearpay said its own internal sales data indicates sales have increased for children’s wide-leg joggers, teddy coats, ballet pumps and plaid jumpers.

The most popular reasons for buying new children’s clothes is because old clothes have been outgrown (80%), worn out (58%) or been damaged (40%).

But nearly a third (32%) of parents are buying new clothes this season because their children’s style tastes have changed, the survey indicated.

Four-fifths (80%) of parents surveyed believe children’s clothing is more expensive than last year.

But parents are not alone in paying for children’s outfits this winter, as the research also indicated that 16% of grandparents will be contributing to the bill.

To make their money go further, two-fifths (40%) of parents buy clothes one size up, and 44% pass outgrown items on to others. The top priorities for people when buying children’s clothes are quality (74%) and comfort (65%), the survey found.

Shakaila Forbes-Bell, a consumer insights psychologist, said: “Parents’ clothing decisions are influenced by both practical needs and subtle psychological cues.

“For example, parents respond to signals about social belonging and their child’s identity – what peers are wearing, what children perceive as ‘cool’ and how clothing supports confidence in different settings.

“Children’s desires and interests are also constantly changing as they develop and become more attuned to their identity.

“Yesterday’s favourite colour could be detested tomorrow. Understanding these underlying motivations and fluctuations can help parents make choices that balance satisfaction, longevity and cost, rather than buying reactively or purely out of habit.”

She suggested that parents look for patterns in what their children wear and feel comfortable and confident in, and that they consider how new purchases could be mixed and matched with their child’s existing clothes, to prevent overspending.

The survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 17 or younger across the UK was carried out by OnePoll in October.

Parents estimated they spend, on average, £117 on children’s clothes in winter, £106 in summer, £99 in spring and £98 in the autumn.