When Teens Stop Shopping, It's Time To Worry

When teens stop shopping, it is time to worry about the economy.

And it appears the 'Mall Street' financial crisis is here. Say goodbye to teenage crushes and summer loving. Say hello to the teenage cash crunch and summer toiling. The time has come for less hanging out at the mall and more time working at the mall. That is, if you can even find any companies even hiring!

Blame it on the ugly mishmash of high gas prices, a weak economy and a lack of summer employment opportunities: Once-carefree spenders are rethinking their spending habits and must-have items.

Now teens and their parents are asking if they really need those jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF). Is that cute blouse from Guess (GES), a must have? Is another pair of surfer shorts from Pacific Sunwear (PSUN) mandatory?

Teens are the last demographic in America to lower spending, as demonstrated by the fact that teens continued to spend at a faster rate than the growth rate for total apparel sales over the past two years.

The last bastion of freewheeling spending is grinding to a halt. Now, thrift is not just a word to study for the SAT exam. The younger demographic is consuming less and getting the ultimate case study of Economics 101: Their own lives.

Piper Jaffray recently did an exhaustive survey of over 5,000 teenagers and their spending habits. The results don't bode well for profit growth for teen-centric retailers.