Newsroom
Back to school! Three little words that have parents clapping, cheering and quietly counting the days, while children contemplate the horror of alarm clocks, homework and getting out of bed before the sun has properly introduced itself.
But before the school gates reopen, families across Cyprus must first complete another annual challenge: the back-to-school shopping trip.
The good news is that prices for school supplies have remained broadly stable compared with 2025, according to a survey by the Cyprus Consumers Association.
The less comforting news is that “stable” does not necessarily mean cheap.
The association compared prices online and in stores at 10 businesses operating across Cyprus. It found only small changes from last year, although some retailers offer lower prices online than they do inside their physical shops.
School bags showed the biggest, and perhaps most eyebrow-raising, price difference. The cheapest found cost just €1.89, while the most expensive reached €209.95, depending on the brand, size and design.
In other words, your child can carry their books for less than the price of a coffee, or for roughly the cost of a small weekend getaway. The books, presumably, will not notice the difference.
Pencil cases ranged from 48 cents to €45.55, while pencils, pens and markers cost between 20 cents and €18.99. Notebooks started at 32 cents and climbed to €12.99, while folders ranged from 19 cents to €8.48.
Then come the uniforms.
School shirts and blouses cost between €3.99 and €48, including special offers. Trousers ranged from €12 to €27, while skirts were priced between €11.50 and €25.
The survey used the same retailers as last year, making the comparison more reliable. Still, the wide price ranges mean families can spend very different amounts depending on where they shop, and how successfully they resist demands for the bag with the correct logo, character or apparently life-changing shade of pink.
The Consumers Association recommends making a list before shopping and helping children separate what they genuinely need from what they suddenly believe they cannot possibly begin the school year without.
Parents are also advised to compare prices and quality, check that products are suitable for the child’s age and avoid stationery designed or scented to resemble food.
A school bag should be chosen according to the child’s size and strength, not simply because it is fashionable. Its weight and construction matter, particularly when it will soon be filled with books, notebooks, lunch boxes and several mysterious objects no parent remembers buying.
Families shopping in person should also check a store’s returns policy before paying. Unlike online purchases, physical shops are not legally required to accept a return or exchange simply because someone changed their mind.
The association’s final advice may be the hardest to sell to children: school supplies are tools for learning, not status symbols.
Parents everywhere may now applaud for an entirely different reason.
