Back-to-school costly for parents, but not for stores

Back-to-school costly for parents, but not for stores

JAKARTA(JP): A new academic year means new school gear for
the children who are ready to go back to school. It also means
more outlay for parents.

"I'm a new elementary school student ... must buy everything",
said six-year-old Maura, who together with her parents seemed to
be enjoying her day out shopping at a back-to-school bazaar in
the Pasaraya Department Store in Blok M, South Jakarta.

She eagerly showed of her new purchases, including exercise
books, pencils, an eraser and a bag.

Monday will be the first day of school for all students in the
city, including Maura who is enrolled in the Tarakanita private
elementary school in Central Jakarta.

Another child, eight-year-old Etta, talking about her
schoolmate, said, "Sita has bought a new bag already but I
haven't." She added that Sita was showing off her new "Barbie"
bag.

"I want a Barbie bag too," she remarked at a bag outlet in
Pasaraya.

The nearby Blok M Plaza was also crowded with school children
and their parents.

"Of course, I want to wear something new to school," said
Tagor, a nine-year-old student, who was looking for a pair of
sports shoes in a shoe store in Blok M plaza.

Accompanied by his parents, Tagor, a fourth-grade elementary
student, was carrying some new exercise books and pencils.

The children's eagerness to buy school requisites, however,
entails a major outlay on the part of their parents.

Tagor's father, Sianipar remarked, "It's been a tradition. I
don't want to ruin it."

He admitted that he had to "take a little money" out of the
family's daily budget to buy what his son wanted.

Meanwhile, Maura's mother, Ika, said, "It costs a lot to buy
Maura's school gear but I think she deserves it since it is her
first time going to school."

Ika said that she and her husband had to take cash from their
bank deposit for Maura's school expenses.

Minar, who together with her husband and two daughters, was
shopping in the Utama Bookstore in Depok Mall, said she had to
spend at least Rp 1 million (about US$80) on her children's
school requisites alone.

"Both of my daughters got good marks in their last tests, so I
have no choice but to give in to their demands," she said, adding
that both of her daughters attend Al Azhar private elementary
school in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.

By contrast, for bookstores and outlets selling school
requisites, the new academic year means big profits.

"Bookstores make a fortune each new academic year," said
Gibson P.L. Sitorus, manager of the Utama Bookstore.

The Utama Bookstore holds a back-to-school program annually
from July 1 to July 31. To attract more customers, the bookstore
gives discounts of up to 30 percent for exercise books, and hands
out stickers for book covers.

The biggest bookstore in the city, Gramedia Bookstore, stages
a one-month promotion to welcome the academic year as well. While
the promotion itself will end on July 31, its exercise books and
stationery bazaar will end on Monday.

According to Jay, a customer services assistant at the
Gramedia bookstore in Taman Anggrek Mall, the special promotion
for the new academic year has helped increase sales by up to 100
percent.

"This year, the customers have responded to the back-to-school
program better than in previous years," he noted.

Bookstores are not the only outlets that are enjoying a
windfall. Bag and shoe stores such as Bata are raking in the
money as well.

Retno Wahyuni, a member of staff at the Bata shoe store in
Blok M PLaza said that the back-to-school-program had increased
sales by up to 30 percent.

"But last year, we enjoyed a bigger increase than this year,"
she remarked without elaborating. (04)