- £50 of the average £260 spend goes on mums’ hair and make up
- Despite big spending, the Asda Mumdex poll reveals first day back battles with the kids leave mums with just 23 minutes to get themselves ready
- Two thirds (66%) of mums say the new school year brings more of a change than New Year, with 60% making new-term resolutions
- Over a third of mums pledge to lead a healthier lifestyle and exercising
- Over a third call for a text or email checklist to ease first day back preparations
- Asda launches special back to school lunchbox bundle and online checklists
LEEDS, England, 2015-8-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — With a new term on the horizon, four in five Asda Mums have revealed it’s important their child looks their smartest for the first day of the new school year.
The latest Asda Mumdex results also reveal that mums are experiencing ‘school gate syndrome’ – in addition to wanting to look their own ‘back to school best’ at the school gates, they feel there is an expectation to share exciting stories from the holidays, while making new school year resolutions for themselves and their family.
When it comes to looking their best, fashion-conscious Asda Mums have said they spend an average £260 on their appearance for the first term. This is broken down by an average spend of:
- £45 on clothing
- £46 on a coat(s)
- £37 on a handbag(s)
- £17 on jewellery
- £50 on hair and make up
- £33 on shoes
- £32 on getting in shape
Despite this financial investment, mums have found they are limited to spending an average of 23 minutes getting themselves ready and at their back to school best, because 42 minutes is taken up by getting their kids dressed and ready. The latest Mumdex survey shows that the average mum spends:
- 10 minutes trying to coax their kids out of bed
- 10 minutes persuading them to put away electronic devices
- 12 minutes making packed lunches
- 12 minutes struggling to feed their child breakfast
- One in five (22%) also spends around eight minutes looking for missing school bags
- Almost a quarter (23%) spend six minutes looking for missing car or house keys
- One in three (33%) will spend roughly eight minutes looking for a school uniform or PE kit
Looking good isn’t the only thing on mums’ mind when it comes to the school gates – mums also feel they need to sound good by sharing interesting summer tales. Over a third (35%) feel they are expected to report back on interesting summer activities as the new term starts, and one in three feels there is competition around where they went on holiday.
‘School gate syndrome’ even creeps into areas beyond mums’ control, with over half (58%) feeling competitive during discussions with others about which teacher their child has – this increases to 75% for mums with kids in their first year of secondary school. Meanwhile, just over four in 10 (44%) admit to often talking about their child’s class or set.
But the good news is that, in addition to refreshing their wardrobe, the return to school also brings a fresh start overall for many UK mums. One in three (33%) say they are excited about the possibilities a new school year brings, and two thirds (66%) feel the new school year is actually more of change than January.
Making the most of the change, 60% of mums say they set new-term resolutions. Over a third of mums will focus on adopting a healthier lifestyle (36%) and exercising more (37%), and almost a quarter (23%) want to get into the habit of waking up earlier. When it comes to family goals, over a quarter (29%) of mums say they plan to reduce their child’s screen time, while almost the same amount (28%) say they plan to help their kids more with their homework.
Eager for a solution to their problems, and the time to make the most of new resolutions, the majority of mums polled for the latest Asda Mumdex survey said that the number one measure to help make their back to school preparations easier, would be a text or email checklist of things to bring in or do for the first week of term.
In response to this, Asda has developed a checklist of tips and reminders to ensure nothing falls off the to-do list for mums on that busy first morning.
Asda’s Hayley Tatum said: “As a mum, I know what those back to school nerves feel like – what class your little one will be in; sending them through the school gates looking smart; getting them there on time after a few weeks of a summer routine – but it’s important that mums know they’re all feeling the same and to take some time for themselves if they can.
“Interestingly, the Asda mum faces the new school year just like, if not more so, the January new year – making resolutions, treating themselves to a new school-gate outfit, or even starting a new fitness and health regime – and good on us all I say!
“Mums have more than enough to think about when it comes to preparing for back to school, putting on their best juggling act, so we also understand a little help can go a long way. After listening to their call to action, we’ve developed quick and easy solutions, starting with the back to school checklist, and a one-click lunchbox bundle which adds tasty and healthy lunches instantly to your online shopping basket. I hope these go a little way to saving them some time in the final weeks of the summer holiday.”
Helen Low, Senior Design Director at George added: “We believe confidence is the key to looking great. There can be a lot of pressure on mums to keep up appearances in all aspects of their day-to-day lives – at George we provide styling solutions for busy mums for every occasion, however much time they have to spare.”
For Asda’s back to school lunchbox bundle, visit www.asda.com, or to find out further information on Asda Mumdex and download the Back to School checklist visit your.asda.com/mumdex.
George school uniforms which include our 100 day guarantee, and starting at just £2 per item, can be found at: http://direct.asda.com/george/school-uniform/D10,default,sc.html
George womenswear features seasonal solutions to help mums look great at the school gates and beyond, from as little as £2.75 george.com.
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