This September, Tribeca children’s boutique Torly Kid will host its second annual sidewalk chalk contest, luring shoppers with good old-fashioned fun instead of yet another 50 percent off sign.
Kids will receive prizes and in-store discounts at Torly Kid, which stocks Tea Collection dresses and back-to-school necessities like backpacks.
“It’s about more than just the sales and shopping,” says marketing manager Sherese Parris. “We try to boost morale.”
From Torly Kid and Greenpoint’s Flying Squirrel to retail giants like Staples, this back-to-school season stores are trying to shift shoppers’ focus from the necessity of penny-pinching in a weak economy to the pleasure of winning a contest or attending an event — and scoring a discount along the way.
Stores have their work cut out for them. Retail consultant Customer Growth Partners expects back-to-school sales to rise just 3.2 percent to $508 billion — the lowest year-over-year increase for the July-September period since 2009.
Since World War II, back-to-school sales have typically risen between 5 percent and 7 percent, said Customer Growth Partners president Craig Johnson.
“The single biggest driver of retail growth is growth in real disposable personal income, and that has been anemic,” said Johnson.
Retailers are limping into back-to-school after struggling in the first six months. Stores are slashing order sizes as much as 30 percent for the second half, and deep discounts to clear slow-selling merchandise will dent profits, said Rebecca Duval, an analyst at BlueFin Research Partners.
“I expect all [earnings] numbers for the third quarter to be tempered down a bit,” Duval said.
A new poll from online discounter Zulily shows the high cost of clothing and supplies is the number one source of stress for parents at back-to-school time.
To offset the angst, Staples, which has been closing stores amid a sales slump, is trying to raise its cool factor with a contest that gives winners a chance to meet pop star Katy Perry (left).
Meanwhile, Brooklyn’s Flying Squirrel is hosting singalongs and swaddling workshops for new moms.
“We want to make it a place where people with kids feel comfortable,” said Nina Berenato, manager of Flying Squirrel.