In recent years, a fierce consumer battle for back-to-school products has developed, targeting both parents’ wallets and children’s hearts. But it’s not just about school bags and pencil cases; creating a comfortable and suitable learning space at home must also be considered.
The long months of conflict have led to various changes among consumers that have altered Israeli purchasing behavior. Shoppers are adapting to the uncertainty and necessary adjustments, while stores and business owners are forced to change traditional sales methods.
Back to school shopping used to consist mainly of stationery, notebooks and backpacks. In recent years, however, shopping has evolved into a full-fledged event, with stores offering a huge range of products. Today, children have to choose from countless types of bags, notebook colours and sizes, as well as a wide variety of pens, markers, sharpeners, calculators and pencil cases.
The wide variety of choices has led to intense competition between different retailers, almost forcing the average consumer to prepare in advance and do market research to put together the most affordable and worthwhile back-to-school shopping cart.
This year, the long months of conflict have prompted shoppers to start looking for the best deals earlier than in previous years. “We usually see a surge in customer traffic in stores in August as September 1 approaches,” says Ofer Barak, CEO of The Stock chain. “Given the war, we assumed that Israeli consumers would make their purchases earlier, so we were prepared and had stocked shelves as early as early June.” Barak adds that their expectations were realistic and resulted in a 33% increase in purchases compared to the same period last year.
Barak attributes the change to two main reasons: “First, the uncertainty of the past few months has led to shopping being done early to get the task done rather than waiting until the last minute. Second, fewer people are traveling abroad this year and it has become difficult to find activities for children. Therefore, parents have made early back-to-school shopping a shared activity that does not require unnecessary spending, but rather a pre-planned expense.”
How competitive is this market? At The Stock, for example, you’ll find a range of back-to-school products, from basic necessities to branded items, all with the promise of offering the best prices in the country.
Another example of market warming is that even traditional and long-established retail chains are vying for consumers’ attention by repositioning themselves as discounters or by launching sub-brands that compete with discount chains in general and The Stock chain in particular.
So, after buying all the school supplies, how can you prepare your child’s room for an effective and comfortable learning routine? Ariel Harel, head of the home styling program at the Tiltan School of Design and Visual Communication in Haifa, offers some tips on how to create a learning-friendly environment for the new school year: “It is important to create a comfortable space for children of all ages that includes a dedicated study area with a desk, a stylish reading lamp and efficient storage solutions such as organizers for folders and notebooks, storage boxes or floating shelves for easily accessible study and craft materials. Invest wisely in a comfortable, preferably orthopedic chair to protect your child’s back and resist the temptation to buy a chair that does not meet their needs. Create a quiet corner that promotes calmness and allows your child to make the most of their study time at home. In addition to a desk, consider creating a cozy seating area with a bean bag, hammock, rocking chair or rug where children can sit and read a book, study for exams or just relax.”
