Maximum Back-to-School Options from Lands’ End: Makes Cents!

Parents Move from Disposable to Dependable

DODGEVILLE, Wis., July 17 /PRNewswire/ — This back-to-school season, money does matter. When 800 moms were polled during a recent online survey conducted by Lands’ End, 65 percent said they plan to set a budget for back-to-school shopping with the majority of moms not planning to spend more than they did for the 2007 school start. Of those moms, over three-quarters (78 percent) said shopping budgets will potentially be affected by the cost of living and the price of gasoline. Most moms (36 percent) plan to spend between $100 and $200 and almost a quarter (23 percent) estimate spending $200 to $300 per child this back-to-school shopping season. Only five percent of moms plan to splurge with over $500 per child.

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(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071029/AQM053LOGO)

When asked what the number one priority was for back-to-school shopping, 40 percent of moms classified themselves as “A Deals Diva” seeking to buy the maximum for the minimum; 35 percent consider themselves “A No Nonsense Necessities Gal” buying only what their child needs; 23 percent are budget followers referring to themselves as “A Smart Cents Shopper” and only one percent admitted to being “A Frivolous Female” buying whatever their child wants.

In what seems to be a disposable world, it could be easy for parents to cut corners and avoid purchasing high-quality back-to-school clothes for their children. However, over half of the moms (53 percent) said they plan to buy items that they can pass down from older children to younger children. And, the majority of moms stated they are looking for kids’ clothing that fits well, can be worn for multiple occasions and is age appropriate to get the maximum wear during the school year.

This back-to-school season, moms can maximize their budgets and their child’s wardrobe options. Lands’ End has designed “Mix to the Max,” a new collection available in a maximum variety of sizes and styles that allows kids to create multiple outfits using only a few items, an idea that 84 percent of moms favored.

“In addition to helping parents easily find great-quality clothing at an amazing value, Mix to the Max will also help save time in the morning; kids can confidently dress themselves because all pieces were designed to be age and school appropriate along with coordinating perfectly,” said Tara Ellef, senior vice president of merchandising for Lands’ End.

When asked what product features would provide the maximum wear for their child, the majority of moms (51 percent) said stain-resistant fabrics along with other easy-care fabrics are their number one choice. The new back-to-school selection from Lands’ End boasts these features plus many more; including wrinkle- and fade-resistant fabrics, pants with reinforced knees and adjustable interior waistbands that provide maximum wear and durability for the entire school year.

Most moms (44 percent) said price is extremely important when deciding on back-to-school clothes, but some back-to-school items just make “cents.” According to moms, the items that boys and girls will get the most wear for the money spent this year include jeans, T-shirts, sneakers and backpacks.

Over 60 percent of moms stated their kids were “Comfort Kids” followed by 14 percent nodding to the “Trendy Tikes” title and 13 percent confessed to raising “Fashionista Fiends.”

“At Lands’ End, we take designing our Kids collection very seriously since we know kids want their clothes to fit well and be comfortable all day long, otherwise they won’t wear them,” said Ellef. “We have a large group of kids in all sizes and ages that we work with regularly to provide us with honest feedback, so we know our Kids collection is guaranteed to be kid comfortable, fits well and provides the performance features they need.”

About Lands’ End

Lands’ End(R) is one of the world’s largest multichannel retailers of casual and tailored clothing for women, men, children and infants around the world. In addition, Lands’ End offers an innovative collection of fine-quality goods for the home. Most recently Lands’ End launched its 2008 back-to-school collection. Lands’ End merchandise can be purchased online at http://www.landsend.com/, by calling 1-800-800-5800 and by visiting the Lands’ End Shops at Sears. Lands’ End is a proud member of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD) . And, all high-quality Lands’ End merchandise is Guaranteed. Period.(R)

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080717/AQTH516
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071029/AQM053LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Lands’ End

CONTACT: Kira Gutknecht of Lands’ End, +1-608-935-6296,
kira.gutknecht@landsend.com

Web site: http://www.landsend.com/
http://www.landsend.com/kids

NOTE TO EDITORS: Lands’ End conducted a research study of 800 moms to gain insight into back-to-school apparel shopping. The self-administered, online survey consisted of 18 questions and was fielded from June 14-30, 2008. Respondents are members of Mom’s Mind Pool Research Panel.