Children are particularly proud of their first satchel. But for parents, this is a costly affair. When is the pain threshold reached?
Around 800,000 children come to school after the summer holidays in Germany – and they all need a school bag. In the months before starting school, there is a lot going on in the specialist shops, sometimes you feel reminded of buying a wedding dress: children present model after model, parents take photos, consult with other family members via smartphone and then post a picture of the wedding dress proud soon-to-be schoolchild with the new satchel on social media.
In the end, many parents are also relieved to have made it. Because buying the perfect school bag can be a sweat. While in the past there was almost only the choice between the red and blue satchels from one or the other manufacturer, today it is important to choose from a huge number of different shapes, colors and patterns. But ergonomics and safety also play an important role.
“Many parents already have certain ideas,” says Klaus Müller, managing director of a large toy shop in Nuremberg, which claims to have around 3,000 models in its satchel department. In order to be sure to get hold of the desired model, parents often take their children to buy a satchel months before they start school, Müller has observed. “It’s often a Christmas present. The child must have the satchel by Easter at the latest.” This is not absolutely necessary. “There are trend motifs that sell out quickly,” says Müller. But there is still a large selection until the first day of school.
So where is this hype coming from? “Buying a school bag is a magical moment,” says Munich market researcher Axel Dammler. “Entering school is something big. The satchel represents that, but it also reflects the child’s world of taste.» That’s why there are so many different designs: Every child should find themselves. But if possible, it also wants to be the only one in the class with this model, says the expert.
For a new school bag, parents usually have to dig deep into their pockets. According to a study conducted a few years ago by the consumer research company GfK, parents spend an average of 238 euros on initial equipment. There are no current surveys on this, says expert Sabine Frühwald. However, inflation and cost increases in many areas also had an impact on school supplies. The school satchel is the biggest item when it comes to school enrollment. “But the parents can’t avoid the purchase.”
Depending on the brand, you can expect prices between 200 and almost 300 euros. According to the German Caritas Association, this is not possible for poorer families in particular. Last February, he asked his advice centers about the education and participation package for children from needy families, through which they received a flat rate of 154.50 euros a year for school supplies at the time. In 2022, the total will be 156 euros per year. The majority of those surveyed stated at the time that the sum was never (44 percent) or only sometimes (43 percent) sufficient.
A spokeswoman for the Caritas Association said that the lump sum is not enough, especially when starting school and changing to secondary school, because a new school bag, accessories and expensive calculators clearly exceeded the costs. The skyrocketing prices exacerbated the situation further, as standard rates rose less rapidly. For this reason, Caritas and other aid organizations have been collecting used satchels and gym bags for years in order to donate them to families in need.
According to forecasts by the Conference of Ministers of Education, around 800,000 children will be going to school this year – and the number will continue to grow in the next two years. Good news for the manufacturers, because the schoolbag market is highly competitive. “The target group will grow in the next few years,” says Christian Bergemann from the Steinmann Group, which includes the “Scout” brand, which has existed since 1975. But in recent years, many competitors have come along, says Bergemann.
Manufacturers are also struggling with the high energy costs and freight rates. The Hama company in Monheim, Bavaria, has responded to this with its “Step by Step” brand satchels. “In order to continue to maintain our usual very high quality and the standards in product development and production as well as in the area of sustainability, we have not been able to avoid adjusting the sales prices slightly,” it says. The Steinmann Group, on the other hand, is refraining from raising prices. “With “Scout” we are already in the upper price segment and do not want to burden the families any further,” explains Bergemann.
Retailer Müller is also skeptical as to whether, given the high cost of living, people are still willing to spend so much on satchels. “The pain threshold has been reached,” he says. “In the price range, the satchel is certainly no longer the most important thing.”
GfK expert Frühwald therefore expects that families will think twice before buying a new satchel. “There will be avoidance and evasive strategies.” Instead of getting a new satchel, children would then have to take over that of their older siblings, for example. Another new satchel at a later point in time, for example when transferring to the 3rd or 5th grade, could also be omitted. (dpa)