Piper Sandler’s 40th Biannual “Taking Stock With Teens” Fall 2020 Report found teen “self-reported” spending at an all-time survey low of $2,150, down 9 percent year-over-year as a result of COVID-19. However, athletic apparel and athletic footwear were found to be continuing to gain mindshare among younger consumers.

Among upper-income teens across genders, 38 percent of the respondents preferred apparel brands that are “athletic,” up from 37 percent last fall and 37 percent in Spring 2020. Piper Sandler said preppy brands such as Sperry, Ralph Lauren and Vineyard Vines continue to cede share to athletic brands

Overall, apparel spending was down $507, or 11 percent year-over-year.

Among brands in apparel, Nike ranked as the No. 1 brand for the 10th straight year. The Top 10 favorite apparel brands across teens were Nike, with mindshare of 27 percent; American Eagle, 8 percent; Adidas, 5 percent; Pacsun, 4 percent; Hollister, 4 percent; Lululemon, 3 percent; H&M, 3 percent; Urban Outfitters, 3 percent; Vans, 2 percent; and Forever 21, 2 percent.

Athletic footwear was found to be still gaining share among females. Among upper-income female teens, 80 percent prefer an athletic brand of footwear, up 500 basis points year-over-year and reaching a new survey high. Among males, 88 percent prefer an athletic brand of footwear, 300 basis points above the 2018/19 average.

Footwear spending was down $275, or 6 percent, year-over-year. The Top 10 favorite footwear brands across teens based in mindshare were Nike, 52 percent; Vans, 16 percent; Adidas, 11 percent; Converse, 4 percent; Foot Locker, 2 percent; Birkenstock, 1 percent; Dr. Martens, 1 percent; New Balance, 1 percent; Crocs, 1 percent; and Steve Madden, 1 percent.

Other Key Findings 

  • 48 percent of teens believe the economy is getting worse versus 47 percent in Spring and 32 percent last Fall;
  • Cosmetics spending for females is down 20 percent year-over-year; skincare for females is down 3 percent; skincare for males is up 12 percent;
  • Secondhand represents 8 percent of shopping time allocation, taking share from off-price, specialty and department stores;
  • Chick-fil-A is the No. 1 restaurant; Chipotle posted steady brand gains while Dunkin’ Donuts moved up to No. 4
  • 18 percent of teens consume plant-based meat with Impossible Foods as the No. 1 choice
  • Video games are 10 percent of total teen wallet share, a new survey high; 63 percent expect to purchase a NextGen console;
  • Teens spend 34 percent of their daily video consumption on Netflix (gained share) followed by YouTube
  • 54 percent cite Amazon as their No. 1 favorite e-com site; SHEIN took No. 2 spot for the first time (ahead of Nike);
  • Ulta remains the No. 1 beauty destination with 42 percent share (+400 bps year-over-year); Target gained share; Amazon stayed in the Top 5;
  • Louis Vuitton unseated Michael Kors for the No. 1 spot as the preferred handbag; Coach gained share;
  • 86 percent of teens own an iPhone, and 89 percent expect an iPhone to be their next phone, both all-time survey highs;
  • Snapchat is the favorite social media platform; Instagram fell from No. 2 to No. 3; TikTok moved up to No. 2.
  • Top-of-mind social/political issues include Racial Equality/Black Lives Matter, Environment and the 2020 Presidential Election; and
  • Teens’ favorite celebrity is Kevin Hart and most followed influencer is David Dobrik.

*Piper Sandler surveyed 9,800 consumers with an average age of just under 16 from 48 states with an average household income of $67,500. The survey, released Tuesday, was conducted between August 19 and September 22.