Paris (AFP)

Unlike the previous start of the school year, the price of school supplies has increased only slightly on the eve of the return to school, according to professionals and consumer associations, which does not mean that their cost is neutral for households, some of which have suffered from the Covid-19 crisis.

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Stable average cost

As every year, the consumer association Confederation Syndicale des Familles (CSF) conducted a study on the cost of back to school in France.

But, while it had mentioned a year earlier an increase of 6.2% of this cost, in particular in anticipation of a possible reconfinement, the expected increase is this time more contained, around 1%.

"It's very anecdotal compared to last year", explains Johan Jousseaume, confederal secretary of the association's Education sector.

This low average variation, however, hides a more contrasting situation, he explains.

First, because the expenses are very different depending on the school level: for an average cost of the start of the school year of around 330 euros including sports equipment, parents of a child entering CP will have to pay on average 190 euros against 400 for a future high school student for example, according to the CSF.

In addition, conventional supplies, notebooks, pens, are a less important item of expenditure this year in particular because "their reuse is more important", explains Johan Jousseaume.

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Important expense item

Professionals in the sector are also announcing "good news for consumers": "at constant references and 2020/2021 sales periods identical, all the universes show a drop in their price, of -1.5% for accessories until at -4.6% for notebooks & papers, "explained the Association of Stationery and Office Manufacturers (AIPB).

In a supermarket in Englos, in the North, August 18, 2016 PHILIPPE HUGUEN AFP / Archives

On the other hand, "the cost of sports supplies has increased very significantly", regrets Johan Jousseaume, pointing to the increase in the price of raw materials such as cotton or wool.

Even if the situation is nuanced, he further indicates, "the start of the school year continues to weigh heavily and very significantly on the most modest households", especially as the exceptional re-entry allowance bonus (ARS) of 100 euros, decided in 2020 by the government, "has not been renewed" this year.

This, while "families emerge from the crisis more in difficulty, there are more families with modest incomes and the poor have become impoverished", according to the study conducted by the Confederation of Families (CSF).

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Less uncertainties

In any case, the French have already made a good start with their back-to-school purchases, unlike the previous year marked by strong uncertainties.

Should we buy pens and notebooks, or printer cartridges and a tablet for home schooling?

"Last year, there was a lot of wait-and-see thinking about the start of the school year, this year not at all, the start of the school year represents + 12% compared to last year", recently pointed out to BFM Business on CEO of Système U Dominique Schelcher.

In a supermarket in Lille, in the North, August 18, 2014 PHILIPPE HUGUEN AFP / Archives

In July, the panelist GfK Market Intelligence identified a trend of + 9%, for total sales of 113 million euros, in supermarkets where the French do most of the back-to-school shopping. "However, the activity has not completely returned to normal: the turnover for the start of the 2021 campaign is down -5.6% compared to 2019", according to Carole Beyly, GfK consultant, cited in a press release.

Jacques Creyssel, the general delegate of the federation of mass distribution (FCD), warned against a health pass effect weighing on the largest stores.

"Some French people are afraid to go to these stores, which makes people fear a significant loss" during the back-to-school shopping period for these stores in shopping centers of more than 20,000 m2, subject in some departments to pass control sanitary.

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