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business newsFive Ways to Wean Teens from Name Brands
By
Jennifer Frey Aug 06, 2009 10:50 am
Real-world strategies for getting it done.
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But one day this summer, when my husband’s paycheck was halved due to company cutbacks, I made the bold decision of passing up the Haagen-Dazs at $5 a pint in favor of a half-gallon of Stop & Shop ice cream, on sale for just $2.50.
My daughter shrieked, groaned, then gobbled down an oversized serving before announcing that it tasted worse than nothing at all.
When most of the country is in recession mode, many parents are trying to do what they’ve tried but failed to do many times before – wean their teens off brand names.
What do you do when your teen just has to have that pink, plaid, $198 Juicy Couture (LIZ) school backpack when L.L. Bean sells something similar for $39.95?
A recent survey by Seventeen magazine has shown that while 3 in 5 teens say they’ve been affected by the recession, nearly three-quarters are still spending the same or more this year on clothing, cosmetics and hair and skin products.
Here’s what some parents have done to put the brakes on brand name shopping:
1. Stall
While not the most high-minded of techniques, it works -- temporarily.
Miriam Safier’s 13-year-old son is obsessed with Ed Hardy (ICON) clothing. “I gave in and bought one T-shirt for $85,” says the Merrick, NY mom. Then the newer styles came out. “I bought him one more, or maybe two. Okay, so it was three,” along with the $150 Ed Hardy bathing suit.
Eventually Safier told him she didn’t have the money just yet; he’d have to wait. “As time passed, he seemed to forget… until something newer came along, and the cycle started over again.”
No positions in stocks mentioned.
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