Matra: With only a week left for Swadeshi schools to open after the summer vacation, traders say the school market has slowed down. Traders had high hopes for this year’s season as the school market in the last two years was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, they were prepared by stocking school bags and related materials on a large scale. However, the unprecedented decline in the market is causing concern. Traders are now hoping that the school market will become active with the arrival of this month’s salaries.
Traders say that the market has been depressed since the end of the Bali festival. One of the main reasons for the weakness faced by the market is that a large percentage of locals have gone on holiday to Salalah and other countries with less heat. The market may also be affected by the fact that parents will have to pay more to send their children to school this time. Due to the Ukraine-Russia war and the increase in the prices of petroleum products, the prices of most commodities have gone up. This will also have a significant impact on the school market. Essential quality bags cost more than six riyals. Families with two or three children who are studying will be severely affected by the price hike in the market.
Schools in the country will be fully opened on September 1. At the same time, the Consumer Protection Authority has stepped up checks to ensure that all the goods required by students are available in the market at fair prices. The authorities point out that parents or students should not worry about the price or availability of the goods and action will be taken if the price hike is noticed.