Notice to parents! When you go shopping, add this expense to your list. Your wallet will thank you…
If you shop carefully, you will not have missed this: product prices are not always fixed. They can increase from month to month, and sometimes even decrease. With inflation, climatic hazards, the cost of raw materials, packaging, electricity, it is quite common to see rising prices. It has been observed more than once. Last year, inflation hit the food sector very clearly: “+ 11.9% over 12 months compared to 4.9% for the general price level”, indicated the consumer association Familles Rurales in its report on consumer prices in 2023.
But apart from food products, there is also another item of expenditure which often experiences price increases during the year. A situation which directly impacts families with children. As you might have guessed, these are school supplies. This year again, prices in this department are expected to jump again. However, according to the Association for Consumer Defense, Education and Information (Adeic), “the increase should be a little less strong than in 2023. This is due to the sharp increases in the price of raw materials and energy, which are still passed on to sales prices and therefore to consumers”announced Julie Vanhille, general secretary of Adeic to RMC.
Last year, the increase was around 8.5% year-on-year. Stationery items had suffered the largest increase (+10.76%), according to a investigation of the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Repression (DGCCRF). Pens, notebooks, rulers and other items were not without remains either. So, to avoid paying more this time, the solution would be to do your back-to-school shopping well in advance, from the end of June.
For what ? Because at this time the summer sales begin. In 2024, promotions take place from Wednesday June 26 to Tuesday July 23. And contrary to what one might think, in some stores, school supplies are often put away, just like clothes, sportswear and sneakers. The DGCCRF noted this: “there is a great diversity of promotional operations relating to back-to-school products set up by distributors. Depending on the brands, these may be generalized immediate discounts or for loyalty card holders only, prize pools , lot sales or more generally low price announcements”, can we read in the report. Last year, these offers were more important than in 2022. This was particularly the case for school bags and kits.
Parents therefore have every interest in looking into sales to save money. Also generally, to attract customers, certain specialized sites launch clearance operations. Without forgetting that if you start early, you have a better chance of finding all the references on the shelves.