Retailers woo teenagers with ‘cool stuff’ at low prices

High school senior Corinne Fitzgerald of Pasadena is on the lookout for bargains.

The fashion-conscious teen shops at favorites such as American Eagle Outfitters, Old Navy and Pacific Sunwear, while keeping a close eye on the price tags and an even sharper eye on quality.

“I always am looking for the deals,” said Miss Fitzgerald, 18, while shopping at Arundel Mills last week. “I try to stretch my money as far as I can. But I’m not going to buy something that rips the next day.”

That balance between quality merchandise and the right price is the magic formula retailers are searching for to get teens in their stores and opening their wallets.

“Teenagers are becoming one of the most powerful markets,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with the NPD Group, a marketing-information company in Port Washington, N.Y. “Teenagers have become an intricate part of consumer spending.”

Teenagers spent $175 billion in the United States last year — that’s 14 percent more than they were spending five years ago and 43 percent more than in 1997, according to Teenage Research Unlimited, a teen-market research firm in Northbrook, Ill.

Teenagers are asking “who can give the look I want for the least amount of money?” said Tina Wells, managing partner of Blue Fusion and chief executive of Buzz Marketing Group, both of which deal with the teen market. “They are value-conscious shoppers, but at the same time they are spending a lot of money.”

And times have changed.

Five years ago, teens were focused on brand-name labels that would “place them in a certain image category,” said Rob Callender, senior trends manager at Teenage Research. “Now they may not be spending less on clothing, but they are getting more for their money.”

In addition, their purchases are revolving more around technology than ever before.

“Teens today are still concerned with image, but the vehicle to convey that image is no longer the same,” Mr. Cohen said. “Teenagers are more concerned about having the right cell phone than the right jeans.”

The average teen spends $103 a week, according to Teenage Research.

Samantha Drenner, 16, and Ciara Bartlett, 15, both of Glen Burnie, Md., say they love to shop for clothes, shoes, purses and accessories. Retailers such as American Eagle, Forever 21 and Abercrombie & Fitch top their list of hot stores. They also will shop at discounters such as Target because they can find similar items at cheaper prices.

“We shop for bargains because our money is limited,” Samantha said.

A handful of retailers are focusing their efforts on the teen market. Teen-savvy stores such as Hot Topic, Wet Seal, Gadzooks and Claire’s have mastered the formula, some retail officials said.

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