“School accessories, including bags, notebooks and pens besides uniforms and shoes are getting costlier,” said parent Khaled Al-Zahrani. “The reopening of schools on the heels of Eid shopping and Ramadan is breaking the backs of middle-class parents.”
“A parent spends an average of SR350 for a student when the new school year starts,” said wholesale trader Taleb Al-Hamdi, who says he makes 70 percent of his annual sales in back-to-school shopping.
“If the total number of students in the Kingdom is about 5 million that means SR1.8 billion on school supplies.”
Another trader, Ali Abu Khaled, said the entry of the low-budget two-riyal shops selling cheap school stationery has reduced the profit margin of larger vendors. Inflation is also being felt.
“Prices of school supplies have doubled this year compared to last year,” said Al-Zahrani. “That is why many families now turn to cheap goods sold by two-riyal shops instead of going to large shopping centers where the prices are high,” said Al-Zahrani.
Fawaz Al-Otaiby, another parent, said cheap goods from China will not last and parents will have to buy the same stationery again.
