The holidays have only just begun for many children but families are being warned not to leave uniform shopping to the last minute because of potential shortages of official school blazers and jumpers.
The specialist retailer School Uniform Direct, which supplies scores of UK schools, has written to thousands of customers urging them to place orders for branded clothing as soon as possible.
In a repeat of last year, the clothing company said it had been advised by its manufacturers that retailers were experiencing delays getting stock into stores because of disruption related to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are currently in a strong position; however, not completely immune from the circumstances across the globe,” School Uniform Direct said in an email to customers. “We are asking parents and guardians to place their orders or come in-store as soon as possible. This will help ensure they receive uniform in time.”
Many families delay buying school uniforms until the last minute for financial reasons or to avoid being caught out by a summer growth spurt.
However, financial concerns loom large before the next academic year because of the squeeze on household finances caused by rising food, fuel and energy bills.
“It’s not like fashion, where you can predict X number of sales and it doesn’t matter if you sell out,” says Alex Gani, a director of the London-based family clothing firm. “With school uniform you need to have stock in all sizes.
“If we get everyone in early, then we start to see in our own stock holdings where there are shortages, and then we can fill those now and get stock levels up to a sustainable level, and then be able to manage those people who come to us at the last moment.”
The warning of shortages comes as the government faces calls from within the specialist industry to help with the cost of living crisis by abolishing VAT on school-specific uniforms, such as branded polo shirts, jumpers and blazers.
The Schoolwear Association has launched a petition to get the government to scrap what it calls the “school uniform tax”.
Clothing and shoes for young children do not attract the sales tax. However, for older children’s school uniforms, as well as all other clothing and shoes, the full standard VAT rate of 20% kicks in on products for age 14 and upwards.
The Schoolwear Association’s research estimates that removing VAT from compulsory school clothing would save each family with a child over 14 close to £20 a year.
Matthew Easter, the association’s chair, said scrapping the uniform tax was a “no-brainer” in the current climate, with the cost to the Treasury of abolishing it in England put at about £13m a year.
VAT is levied on non-essential goods, yet the overwhelming majority of schools require their students to wear a uniform, Easter said. “School uniforms therefore have to be considered as essential,” he said. “As the tampon tax was abolished in January 2021 because sanitary wear is essential, so should VAT on school uniforms.”
On the subject of shortages, Easter, who runs the school uniform brand Trutex, said: “Like many industries, global supply chains have been a nightmare this year for a variety of reasons, and stuff has been delayed – there is no doubt about that.”
However, he added: “I don’t think there is going to be a big supply issue from uniform specialists because we all hold stock all year round anyway. So even if new stock has not come in in time, there should be enough stock in the system.”