Shopkeepers have positive expectations for sales of school supplies in Manaus

Manaus (AM) — The notebook with a famous character print, colorful brushes and sparkly pens are some of the stationery items that children and teenagers dream of for the back-to-school shopping period. The months of January and February are marked by an increase in local commerce, with parents and guardians balancing their spending on school materials for the upcoming school year.

The expectation of an increase in sales of school supplies in Manaus commerce reaches 5%, compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the survey carried out by the Chamber of Retail Managers of Manaus (CDL Manaus), during the period from the 21st to the 31st of December 2023.

The president of the Commerce Federation of the State of Amazonas (Fecomércio-AM), Aderson Frota, declared that there is a positive expectation for sales growth during the back-to-school period, due to the end-of-year sales that encouraged traders and the increase in the employment rate.

“These data point to the recovery of the economy and that 2024 will certainly be a year in which we will not have the major problems that occurred in 2022, nor those worsened by the drought last year. In terms of trade, the first half of the year is weaker than the second, due to the rainy season, holidays and carnival”,

he stated.

The 2023 indicators also contribute to the economic turnaround, mainly due to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the reductions in the dollar rate and inflation indicators. When analyzing the scenario, economist Denise Kassama stated that these indices generate the expectation of growth in the school supplies market, also due to the traditional period in which this increase occurs.

According to the CDL Manaus survey, Manaus spent an average of R$460 on purchasing school supplies in 2023. The forecast this year is for an increase of R$40, reaching R$500. This value represents a little more than 37 % of the current minimum wage, which is R$1,320.

The expert points out the projection of an increase in consumption by 9%, in relation to last year’s expenses. “It is important that parents do a lot of research because the variations of the same product can reach up to 300% from one commercial establishment to another”, she advised.

Best prices

To avoid excessive spending, artisan and housewife Leyla Monte da Silva researches the best prices when purchasing her child’s school supplies, so as not to compromise the family budget, as well as avoiding buying themed products, which tend to be more expensive.

“This period always generates anxiety because at the beginning of the year we have several commitments. We try to organize ourselves, but we don’t always succeed. I usually search in physical stores, preferably those that work with wholesale products,”

reported.

Research, as highlighted in Leyla’s speech, is the fundamental path for those who want to save. Economist Jefferson Praia explains that this investigation can be carried out through websites and by establishing ways of checking the best alternative.

“When deciding which store to buy from, the person should check if there are discounts when purchasing more than one unit or paying in cash. It is of interest, as long as you know what you are doing, to check if there is an installment plan, because if the company offers this option, the interest is already embedded there”,

concluded.

Purchasing in bulk can offer benefits to consumers who intend to purchase material for more than one child or wish to obtain more units of a product. Jefferson Praia emphasizes that wholesale stores have more affordable prices in these cases.

Manaus stores, especially stationery stores, tend to organize themselves to be prepared to receive the greater demand for the purchase of school materials during the first two months of the year, as schools deliver the list of materials requested at the time of registration. The increase in demand is also due to families’ financial planning to use the extra money received at the end of the year, such as the thirteenth, to buy items.

The expanded and varied stock can be a differentiator for the public. The Queiroz Group, which expects sales to grow by 30% compared to 2023, in addition to having increased the quantity and types of items in its units, has also extended its opening hours, offering services to the public until 7pm on Monday -Friday to Saturday.

Guidelines

The Consumer Protection Institute (Procon-AM) provides guidance on the rights safeguarded in the Consumer Protection Code (CDC) that help with the back-to-school period. The purchase of items for collective use cannot be requested from the lists sent by educational institutions, only those for individual use must appear on them.

Schools also cannot charge fees to cover expenses, nor require specific brands nor for the material to be purchased in specific stores.

The prohibited materials on these lists are personal hygiene products, such as soap and toilet paper, office products, such as reams of paper and clips, and cleaning products, such as alcohol and detergent.

Procon-AM advises that consumers who check these items being requested by schools should report abusive practices. In addition to highlighting that the materials need to be present in the pedagogical plan.

Read more:

Procon-AM warns about consumer rights when buying school supplies

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