Wireless Wednesday: Katherine Bruce, Cotton Inc. and Back to School

Rick is joined by Katherine Bruce.

Katherine Bruce, Ph.D., Manager of Market Insights for Cotton Incorporated

Back-to-school season is here, and clothing is at the top of the list, with shoppers allotting $417 per student for the 2025 school year, down from $472 in 2024.

When buying back-to-school clothes, about half of shoppers say parents and students decide together. Parents prioritize comfort (68%), while students aged 13 to 24 focus on quality (69%).

Rising prices and economic fluxes have many families rethinking how they shop by choosing more sustainable items as a way to save money and feel more secure.

According to Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey, 2025, longevity matters. On average, consumers keep a pair of denim jeans for eight years, making a $47 pair worn three times a week just 4 cents per wear.

Topics:

How will back-to-school shopping be different this year, and why are families more focused on stretching every dollar?

What are parents looking for in their children’s back-to-school wardrobe?

How do teenage students feel about quality versus style?

What items do you suggest for clothes that are both affordable and sustainable, with the longest cost-per-wear ratio?

Where can we go to learn more?

Katherine Bruce, Ph.D. serves as manager of market insights for Cotton Incorporated. In her role, Katherine creates actionable understandings from U.S. and international consumer and retail research, such as Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ survey and Cotton Incorporated & (Cotton Council International) CCI’s Global Lifestyle Monitor™ survey. Katherine’s passion as a sociologist builds on her experience designing, conducting, analyzing, and distilling market research into witty and insightful presentations of the data.

Cotton Incorporated is a not-for-profit research and promotion organization and does not make anything or sell any products.