Summer is in full swing, but before we know it, the new school term will be upon us. Parents will be getting back from holiday to realize they only have a few days to get everything the kids need for class. Retailers and student union representatives will need items to customize to create their back-to-school merchandising, stationery, and apparel.
To help you get ahead of the game and avoid the rush, we’ve put together this list of essentials you can pick up on the cheap, so you can get everything you need for your family, students, or customers. Take care of business in no time and then you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the summer.
Clothing & Accessories
For schools with a uniform, this is usually pretty simple. For schools which don’t, this time of year is often when you hear about how the kids have nothing to wear, and it probably is time to replace worn out clothing, and things that are now too small. Getting those centerpiece items they’ll be desperate to show off to friends is different for every child, and seems to change every year. You can stock up on the basics though, and make sure they have enough clothes to complete their outfit each day.
For businesses, it’s important to make sure your inventory has what it needs. This is the time of year when parents need to go shopping, and schools and colleges need to make merchandise and uniforms. So here are some essentials you should try to avoid running out of.
The Classic Crewneck Sweatshirt
Making sure the kids have enough sweatshirts means they’ll always have something to throw over the top of whatever they’re wearing. This is comforting as a parent, especially as the temperatures start to drop in fall, about two months before the kids seem to notice. You can get basic, plain crew necks for so little that you can stock up different colors for the whole family and it won’t cost much.
For businesses, the crewneck has a lovely large area for printing, so they’re great for creating merchandise. Given the wide range of colors you can pick up, it’s easy to find the one that matches your school’s colors.
The Snug and Stylish Hoodie
The other standard outer layer for school is definitely the hoodie. A garment with a sporty and student look, hoodies are super popular with kids of all ages. As a parent, the hood also gives you extra peace of mind, seeing as the hood will protect them from the rain if they get caught unawares.
Hoodies might cost a little more than crewnecks, but they are still great value if you find the right supplier, and you get a wide range of colors. It’s another that can easily accommodate embroidery or printing, so it’s an essential for businesses. The embroidered school hoodie is probably the most iconic piece of school merchandise.
Enough T-Shirts for Everyone
You’ve got to have enough t-shirts. They get lost, they get dirty, and they need one with almost every outfit. Stock up on high-quality, low-cost t-shirts, and you can avoid the morning meltdowns. You can get t-shirts in even more colors than sweatshirts, so you can add some flair and variety even with plain clothing. These are another great option for printing, and their lower cost means you can create great merchandise for less.
We provide brands for every price range, and include every style, so you can always find the right t-shirt for your children, school, or business.
Picking the Right Pants
This one’s a little more complicated, as you don’t have that one thing that works for everyone. Some schools still expect you to wear slacks, while others are more relaxed. When they have the choice, some kids are still very much in the jeans camp, while others have switched to sweatpants. The good news for parents is that you can usually get by with fewer pairs of pants than you need for some items– besides with the really young ones, they need washing a bit less.
The printing capacity with pants is a little more limited, since you don’t have the same printing area. It’s still possible though, and the most popular is to add the school crest to sweatpants to match with your school sweatshirts. Kids love a tracksuit these days.
Top It All Off with the Jacket
The jacket can be a tricky one if finances are tight after the summer vacations. All kids seem to want a jacket that costs over $100, and seeing as you want them wrapped up warm, it can be hard to say no. It doesn’t have to be that way though, you can get great jackets without breaking the bank. The key is to get them something that looks great before you ask what they want, so they don’t have the chance to tell you about that amazing one their buddy has.
We even have amazing-looking Letterman Varsity jackets that you can get for less than 30 bucks. So you can make sure they’ll be happy with how they look, without you having to splash out. These are also great for customization. Choose the right colors, and add your school emblem to make incredible merch for school spirit.
Backpacks, Beanies and Brollies
The backpack, or other bag, is maybe the most crucial item to get right. Not only is it very important for “the look”, but it has practical value too. It needs to have enough pockets for everything, and for many schools you’ll want a space for a laptop. It also has to be tough enough to last the whole year without spilling books all over the floor. There’s great merchandise potential in the backpack too, so businesses should definitely take care with this one.
You might need other accessories as well, whether to protect from the elements, or just for style. We’ve got caps, beanies, umbrellas and more that you can add branding to, or just kit out the family on the cheap.
Stationery Supplies
There’s not just clothing to think about– you’ve also got to make sure they have all the supplies they need to get down to work, and this is an area you certainly don’t want to be spending too much on. Fortunately we can help, since we provide both apparel and stationery, you can get everything you need in the same order, all for great prices.
What to Write with?
Pens, pencils, markers, highlighters– they’ll want them all. The more creative will also go for full coloring sets, and while they’ll probably still have most of them from last year, a new set can always help inspire. Make sure they have everything you need to hit the ground running, and don’t forget a pencil case to keep everything in.
Where to Write It?
We’ve also got hard and soft notebooks of all sizes, so students can always have somewhere to take notes. You’ll also want some folders to keep papers in. The “tuck them into the book” option never works quite as well as we hope, as everything gets lost in the long run.
There’s great branding potential in pens, pencils, notebooks and folders. With wholesale pricing, they can be picked up for super cheap, so you can add a markup, and still offer great prices to your students. You can also make sets which include everything, saving the parents time, and increasing your bottom line in the process.
Ready for Class Yet?
Check all these items off your list and you’ll be ready for the new term. With Wordans, whether you’re buying for yourself, your family, your students or your customers, you can get everything you need in one place, and all for amazing prices. Take advantage of our wholesale discounts by buying in bulk and you can get everything for even less. Get ahead of the game and you won’t have to rush once school is no longer out for summer.
Wordans can help you get great-value, high-quality apparel, accessories, and other products. Visit our website to see the full range, and how much you can save. And don’t forget to follow our Instagram page @wearewordans to keep up with our news!
