City Talk: Burdened by back-to-school demands

It is the first day of school and kids are back at their desks, flaunting their new school bags and stationery.

Parents lament that buying trendy stuff for their kids is burning a hole in their pockets. They also question the hiked up prices during back-to-school season.

Aisha Saif, a UAE national, feels that prices go up as the school starts. "Stationery prices rise a lot, especially school bags. This rise in the prices does not mean the products are of good quality. Even the price of regular stuff goes up," she said.

"These traders know very well that parents have to buy this stuff. It is important, and we are going to buy them no matter how high the prices."

According to Aisha, prices do not stay high for a long time. They start falling just after the first semester.

"My children are very excited to go back to school. The Dubai Summer Surprises was great fun for them, and it helped in getting their school stuff quickly, with all the events that are going in all the shopping malls," she said.

Ouidad El Baroudi, a Moroccan, concurred.

"Yes, prices really increase prior to the back-to-school period. This is normal because it is the peak season for the traders to make profit, same as before Eid," she observed.

Ouidad attributes the increase in prices to the cost of advertising and marketing traders must cover during this period.

"Sometimes, the prices increase because of the quality of the product. New varieties and models enter the market, which cost more," she said.

"I personally shop for trademark goods. These products are always of good quality. I don't care much about the prices when it comes to the quality, but it is not good to see bad quality products being sold for high prices."

Kanchan Rupani, an Indian, supports this view.

"Yes, prices do increase prior to school reopening. They shouldn't increase, but what to do? Traders just want to make a profit. It is our necessity and we have to buy them no matter how high the prices go," she sighed.

According to Rupani, quality usually determines the prices. "If you want high quality products, then you should not complain about the price. If you pay a good price, then you will buy good quality," she said.

Hussain Abdulla, a Yemeni, remarked: "Prices of stationery and school stuffs increase prior to school time. This is because it is the only period where these traders can make a high profit. It does not increase only in the big shopping malls, but also in the small shops. This is really bad because some parents with many children cannot afford to pay these prices."

He conceded that at times, the price reflects the quality of the product.

"Mainly, the prices in shopping malls are much higher than in small shops. Also, it varies from one emirate to another. For example, school stuffs are sold much cheaper in Sharjah than in Dubai," he pointed out.

Frith Lathan, a British national, has not noticed a drastic hike in prices.

"Prices of school stuff do not increase by much during the back-to-school period. I usually shop in Carrefour or Union Coop because their prices are affordable," she said.

According to Lathan, school uniforms cost most. Pauline Edwards, another Briton, feels that prices do not increase a lot.

"School stuff do not cost a lot before school starts. The only thing that really become expensive is the school uniforms. For example, I spent around Dh3,000 to buy uniforms and bags for my two kids. This, I feel, is really expensive," she said.

Edwards feels that the stationery prices are expensive in the large stores, and that is why she buys them from the Union Coop.

"The price of stationery at the Union Coop is really low compared to the large shops. They also have a wider selection. My kids are really excited to go back to school," she said.

Corinne Branch, a Canadian, does not feel that prices increase prior to schools because she does her shopping earlier.

"My general opinion is that prices are pretty fair. It has a lot to do with Dubai Summer Surprises, which helps parents shop earlier for their kids school stuff. We don't have such festivals or surprises in Canada. It really helps and give us time during our shopping. The kids are very happy to go back to school and I've almost finished my shopping," she said.

Kim Ashfield, a Briton, said: "The prices do not increase very much, but the increase is due to the variety of quality we find prior to school periods. One can find many a wide variety of brands before schools start.

"I don't really notice a price increase. I buy them during back-to-school surprises and I find prices pretty affordable. My kids have already started counting down the days before schools start."