The start of another academic year has certainly created some happy faces among school students, who are all set to wear their new uniforms and use their new stationery kits. But, on the other hand, lack of sale has been a major worry for the stationery shop owners in Coimbatore.

Despite a rise in the number of schools and the demand for stationery items, shop owners are finding their businesses on the lower side as schools now provide stationery items for the students. Customers opined that the rate of stationeries have increased recently, forcing them to spend from their savings.

According to N. Balakumari, one of the shop owners, more than 50 per cent of their business has been hit because of lower turnouts. “We usually carry out businesses of more than Rs.20,000 in a single day during this season. But it has reduced to less than Rs.10,000 now,” she said.

She further added that since most of the private schools have started distributing notebooks, brown covers, and labels to the students, the shops had found a huge loss in such areas. Only government school students buy notebooks.

“The sale of stationary articles like pen, pencil, erasers, and geometry set are the only things we depend upon during the season. Yet, some schools provide these items too,” said S. Shanmugham, another shop owner.

In addition, Shanmugham said that the increase in the number of shops had also resulted in the decline in business for the shop owners.

“We have seen good business in the last one week, but expect a good sale after few days of the school reopening, which is on Wednesday,” said another shop owner.

However, the sale of school bags, lunch boxes and shoes were relatively higher compared to other products. Meanwhile, showing concern over the price hike in the products, one of the customers said that the families were finding it difficult to manage with the price.
The government had advanced the reopening of school to June 1, from the earlier announced June 15.