Most Common Issue with Ordering School Uniforms - And How to Avoid It

Ordering school uniforms to outfit your students is no easy feat – for you or the parents you serve. The biggest issue is the sheer inconvenience.

You thought you had this problem solved. Instead of making parents trek around town, kids in tow, to shop for back-to-school uniforms, you created your own on-campus store. Everything required, and perhaps some appropriate optional items, right there in one place. But times have changed and problems persist:

• Parents work, or they’re busy with other things. Asking them to show up at the school at a certain time and day to get the best prices or to get their kids sized and then place orders is an intrusion instead of a convenience.
• For schools with multiple facilities – often the case if you serve K-12 students -- the store may not actually be “on campus.” Parents with students in junior or senior high may have to go back to elementary school to shop. Older students typically have differing uniform requirements, often more formal wear such as jackets and ties, as well as the need for sports uniforms.
• Ultimately, parents may have to access multiple sources just to buy uniforms for varied age children, then go to another source for sports uniforms, and yet a different source for spirit wear. Definitely inconvenient. The ordering process gets a failing grade.

And there’s another major issue -- inconsistent garment quality and branding that negate dress code consistency. Your school has specific, deliberate standards. Consistency of presentation is crucial, to underscore your passion for excellence and instill pride in students, faculty and families. Parents have a choice when it comes to schools, and how you present yourself in the classroom and out in the community directly reflects on your brand.

SquadLocker has the A+ solution

Everyone now expects the convenience of shopping online. Your one-stop SquadLocker store feels familiar and makes ordering a breeze. Streamlining the process is a customer service detail that shows parents you respect their time. And it will save you time and money, too. Finally, you can offer comprehensive apparel solutions for all aspects of school life, including staff apparel, with a cohesive branded look across all programs.

Of course, you still have to manage your store, but what a difference! It’s all digital, so:

No need for a physical store, personnel to run it or limited hours of operation. Space and staff can be redirected toward educational activities.

Online ordering is easy, and your store is always open. No worries about late registrants getting what they need quickly or finding mid-year replacements, since items are always available. What a relief, because inevitably, kids lose and damage clothing, and boy do they grow fast.

SquadLocker allows you to offer high quality garments from well-known brands including Elderwear, at great prices. Quality and durability are essential since kids wear their uniforms every day throughout the entire school year. Clothes have to endure many washings and still look top-notch, without fading.

Many schools are allowing athleisure wear or going with a prep school look – something that reflects the tenor of the school itself. Plus, some schools use spirit wear such as T-shirts or sweatshirts as uniforms, especially for younger kids or field trips and other less formal activities. That makes those items part of the mandatory wardrobe. Having access to them within a single umbrella store makes life so much easier for parents.

No minimums, so no expensive bulk ordering, inventory to track and store, or costly inventory leftovers. Everything is always in stock, in the right size, and ready to go. No need to start over every year, either. Just update items in your store as needed.

100% contact-free. No in-person visits for uniform try-ons or purchasing. And no worries about shopping early enough to get everything needed in the right quantities and sizes. Orders ship directly to parents.

Parents can easily find whatever they need. Dress uniforms plus gym clothes, sports uniforms and spirit wear are all consolidated in one permanent, centralized school landing page, with easy navigation to multiple “department” stores within. You can fill the store with items that definitely meet your dress code, and parents can see the items online. You can identify items that are meant to be worn together as well as those that are optional rather than mandatory.

As parents are shopping for necessities, they can also see what else is available that they or their kids might want. There are never any frustrating back-orders or sold-out popular sizes or colors.

Everything custom-decorated, of course!

All items in your store, including accessories such as ties, can be decorated with the school name or initials or logo, to ensure consistent branding. Depending on the item and your preference, we offer high-quality printing, sublimation, and embroidery decoration options.

With so many things changing for schools, your SquadLocker store is one “new normal” everyone is going to love. It even looks professional, like a good quality store your parents would choose for shopping. It is entirely customized, consistent, reliable and easy to use. It eliminates common ordering issues, pleasing parents with a far better experience.

Not only will your store earn an A+, you’ll get extra credit for being the smart cookie who recommended the switch.