All children in the UK attend school until they are 16. During this time, their incomes are minimal, although many will supplement pocket money with casual work and they are able to influence parental purchase of a range of goods, giving them a degree of economic importance. The majority leave school as soon as they can. Students, while highly aspirational and working hard for the prospect of a good job, have very low levels of income and are usually heavily in debt by the time they finish their courses. For younger teenagers, their limited incomes mean that their most frequent purchases are pocket money products such as sweets, but as they grow older they will increasingly buy higher value items such as their own clothes.
Teenagers are a key market for items such as jeans and trainers.
Teenagers, both male and female, are heavy purchasers of fragrances, while girls are beginning to experiment with colourants and cosmetics. Teenagers are also the key target for antibacterial face creams. One of the few unequivocally teen products is electronic games. Although they appeal most to younger teenagers and boys, girls and older teenagers are also enthusiastic computer games players. Teenagers' enthusiasm for computer games reflects their ease with new technology.