Breaking into New Business

What do 80% of Chicago’s Public School Kids Have in Common?

The school and team market is huge.  The biggest in wholesale apparel. 

But large doesn’t mean stagnant. 

In fact, the school and team market is currently undergoing a major shift that could mean a wellspring of new business for wholesale apparel distributors.

Private schools in the US have been requiring uniforms since their inception, but public schools have traditionally been a free-for-all when it comes to clothing. 

That’s fast changing. 

After a push from then President Clinton to improve the public school system, schools began to embrace uniforms in the 1990s.  Much of the initial enthusiasm for uniforms came because of the need to stem violence in schools. 

Clinton explained, "School uniforms are one step that may be able to break this cycle of violence, truancy, and disorder..."¹

In addition to curbing violence, school uniforms have been credited with decreasing the socio-economic gap between rich and poor students.  Proponents of the uniforms also claim that school discipline is aided by dress codes and uniforms.

The Department of Education found that school uniforms in public schools increased from three percent to 12 percent from 1997 to 2000.  47 percent of schools in 2000 were employing some kind of dress code.  Another survey is scheduled for 2006 to gauge school uniform growth.²

School uniforms have been especially popular in metro areas. 

The Education Commission of the States, an organization dedicated to education policy, reports an incredible 80 percent of Chicago public schools require school uniforms, in addition to 60 percent in Miami, 85 percent in Cleveland, 65 percent in Boston and 30 percent in San Francisco…just to name a few.

What does this mean for distributors?

Enormous opportunity.

A complete school uniform wardrobe for a child generally consists of between nine and fourteen pieces (enough to get through the week) including tops, bottoms, socks/tights and at least one other item, such as an accessory or fleece.  White sport shirts or button downs with dark pants or shorts is a common combination in public schools.

Breaking into the school uniform business isn’t easy, but once you’re in the rewards are big…with an abundance of repeat business. 

The first step in approaching the market is to research what the local school district policies are, because even within a single city there is often variation in uniform rules.  Next, find suppliers that can deliver the uniform items you need at a high quality and reasonable value.

If you already supply a school with apparel or accessories for athletics and clubs, this is a great entrée.  Discuss what you can offer to the buyer of athletic wear.  If that person isn’t the best person to talk to about school uniforms, then he or she may be willing to refer you to the right person. 

Want more info about school uniforms, and how to get started in this market?  Check out these sites:

Education Commission of the States
General information about school uniforms.
http://www.ecs.org/

National Center for Education Statistics
Get detailed info on specific schools.
http://nces.ed.gov/datatools/

Schooldata.com
Mailing lists and info on marketing to schools.
http://www.schooldata.com/