3 in 4 parents are feeling the strain with the cost of school uniform, research reveals

The back-to-school period can be a stressful time for parents and carers, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis only adds to this stress. Looking to understand the situation parents face each September, UK affordable footwear retailer, Wynsors, has carried out their annual survey of 1,000 UK parents to understand exactly how much the cost of school uniform is affecting their finances.

Despite some slight improvements from last year’s results, the findings from the study do not paint a positive picture for households across the UK:

Nearly 3 in 4 (73%) parents agree that the cost of buying school uniform and supplies puts a strain on their household budget.
71% of parents agree that the financial pressure on parents has increased over the last 12 months.
1 in 3 (37%) parents state that they receive no financial support with the cost of new school uniform, but are in need of it.
50% of parents agree that abolishing school uniforms would help save them money.
With 1 in 2 parents spending upwards of £249 each year on school uniform, UK households are having to make cutbacks elsewhere to afford the cost. Over half of parents (56%) are spending less on new things for themselves (such as clothing) so they can stretch their household budget to cover the cost of buying new school uniform, and 21% are going as far as to opt for shorter or cheaper holidays to do so, with 15% forgoing holidays altogether.

12-school-uniform-financial-aid-2024.jpg

Adam Foster, Retail Director from Wynsors, comments: “As highlighted by this research, the back-to-school period is often a stressful and expensive time, but as the UK’s most affordable family footwear retailer, we want to take the stress out of the shopping experience by making school uniform accessible to all.

From our low prices to our friendly in-store staff, we pride ourselves on helping parents over the last 50 years to get their kids equipped and ready for school.”