Major high street clothes shop freezes school uniform prices

A MAJOR high street retailer has frozen the price of its school uniform for another year.

Marks and Spencer has confirmed it is committed to holding the price on its school uniform for the third year running.

The retailer is also bringing back its 20% off school uniform offer for early bird shoppers.

M&S school uniform is ranked number one by consumers for value for money by YouGov.

This move is part of the retailer's commitment to "protecting value on the products that matter most to customers."

M&S school uniform is designed to be durable and pass the "hand me down" quality test to ensure that even when it's outgrown it's too good to waste and can be handed down to family and friends.

The range has incorporated features such as growth-proof hems and adjustable waistbands, and the 2023 range continues to include permanent pleats in skirts and "easy iron" shirts.

Prices in the M&S range start from just £7 for a multipack of three unisex polo shirts.

When the additional 20% Back-to-school offer is applied, prices start from just £5.60 for early-bird shoppers, for a limited time.

Alexandra Dimitriu, kidswear director at M&S, said: "School uniform is an essential purchase for millions of families and now more than ever, parents are prioritising value when it comes to making purchasing decisions.

"We believe that a great price shouldn’t come at the expense of great quality and by continuing to protect prices, we’re ensuring affordable school uniform – that also passes the hand-me-down test - is accessible to all families this Back-to-School season."

Most parents know how to shop around for a good deal especially when it comes to school uniforms as most retailers now have a back-to-school offering.

We had a look around at what other retailers were currently offering on school uniforms and found some comparisons.

Unfortunately, we were not able to include Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi as they did not have any school uniform online at the moment.

We price-checked a green gingham school dress currently priced in Marks and Spencer from £9.

Sainsbury's had a similar dress priced from £5.50, John Lewis was priced from £9, Matalan from £8 and Asda had a two-pack gingham dress from £10.

Depending on the size of the item prices do vary, and different retailers also offer different multipack sizes.

We also looked at a pack of 2 V-neck jumpers priced in M&S from £11.

Sainsbury's came in slightly cheaper again with prices starting from £7, John Lewis from £7.70, Asda from £7 and Matalan from £9.

As you can see other retailers are very competitive when it comes to price, and sometimes even if you do take advantage of the early bird M&S offer they still come out more expensive than other retailers.

It all depends on what you are looking for in terms of quality and also what your budget is.

It could be beneficial to visit the stores rather than buying online to be able to see and feel what you are getting for your money.

Last year we compiled a list of some of the best places for buying cheap school uniforms and found that supermarkets were a great place to start.