Parents urged to shop carefully for back-to-school items

The Consumers’ Association is urging parents to shop around for back-to-school items due to the wide variation in prices on the market.

A survey by the association both online and in the shops, found that the cost of a school bag starts from €3.99 and can reach up to €209.95, depending on the size, design, and brand.

The cost of a pencil case ranges from €0.79 to €51.40, while pencils, pens and markers start from €0.13 and go up to €14.99.

Copybooks and notebooks can cost from €0.39 to €9.99, while a file folder ranges from €0.30 to €5.95.

In relation to school clothing, prices for shirts, including offers, range from €3.99 to €29.50, for trousers from €6 to €26, and skirts from €11.50 to €25.

According to the survey the cost of school bags has dropped around 20 per cent over last year while the price of markers, pencils, pens and folders saw a marked increase in the cheapest price by 30-50 per cent.

The association said the period of buying school supplies was an opportunity to educate children on how to navigate the labyrinth of the market and how to avoid the traps of advertising and unnecessary consumption.

This requires planning, market research and price comparison by parents, it said.

The association suggests drawing up and making a list of the items necessary for the start of the new school year, calling on parents to help children understand that “there is a big difference between what they really need for school and what they think they need”.

It also advises parents to check whether the product is appropriate for the child’s age, noting that for health safety purposes it is best to prevent smaller children from buying school supplies that look like food or even come with a food flavour.

In addition, it recommends that the choice of the bag be made based on the student’s physical strength, weight and build.

Parents also need to ask retailers about return polices at the point of purchase.

Complaints regarding misleading offers and other consumer issues can be filed with the association by phone to 22516112, email info@katanalotis.org.cy, or the consumer hotline 1429.