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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to compare the catalog shopping behavior of students in their tween years (i.e., between childhood and adolescence; ages 12-14) with that of older students (ages 15-18). Junior high and high school students who had purchased clothing from a catalog in the past 12 months responded to a questionnaire that examined the label information sought and product-specific attributes considered. Results indicated that tweens were more concerned with style, brand names, and the latest fashion than were older students. This finding was especially interesting, as these attributes all relate to status; the tweens were more interested than the older students in wearing the latest fashions, being in style, and gaining the prestige of wearing brand-name clothing. This supports previous findings indicating that the tween years are a time when peer pressure and "fitting in" are very important.
Children, preadolescents, and teens are the fastest growing market sectors in the United States. According to Teen Research Unlimited (1991), adolescents in the United States spent $82 billion on goods and services in 1991. The children's market for consumer goods increased by 20% from 1988 to 1995, and the preteen, or tween, market is considered extremely significant in itself (Federal Trade Commission, Office of Public Affairs, 1995). The term tween is used to describe preadolescents, ages 12-14, who are in a somewhat awkward, transitional stage of life-they have left childhood but have not actually become teenagers. Described by Cuneo (1989) as too old for Ronald McDonald and to young for car keys, tweens are reported to have more discretionary purchasing power than younger children or older adolescents, to shop at least three times a week, and to save 30% of their spending money for higher ticket items (McLaughlin, 1991). Cuneo (1989) reported that tweens buy or influence the purchase of $45 billion worth of goods a year. Thus, tweens are being targeted heavily by marketers, who recognize the cash clout and influence on family purchases of this consumer group.
The shift in family dynamics in the 1990s also plays an important role in marketing strategy. Many school-age children live in households where both parents work. Additionally, in 1994, one in four households with children was headed by a single parent, up...