Extra costs of the start of the school year: most parents spend more than just on school supplies

The start of school does not only involve the purchase of classic equipment, but in many cases it also means serious extra costs for families, according to a recent survey by Pepita.hu. The research highlights that for a significant number of parents, providing their child with sports opportunities (33%) and purchasing a new desk or chair (32%) represented the biggest expenses. According to the survey, nearly 30% of those who bought a computer or laptop at the beginning of the school year, and many of them also have to pay for extra lessons during the school year. A fifth of parents also earmarked money for remodeling the children’s room, while two-thirds updated their child’s wardrobe and shoes before the bell. Expenses for families can vary greatly depending on the age of the child. In the case of older children, the dormitory fees or even the sublet costs are borne by the parents.

“Our own sales data for the month and a half before the start of school show that we achieved the greatest increase in the number of products sold in the category of desks and office chairs, as well as school bags and school bag sets compared to last year

– said József Dorcsinecz, co-founder of Pepita.hu.

For desks, we are seeing a 57% increase in total gross purchase value despite the average purchase value being down 21% compared to last year.”

József Dorcsinecz also added that in 2024, customers paid an average of HUF 15,000 per purchase for school bags in the Pepita.hu web store, which means that they spent an average of 31% more than last year.Outstanding growth was also achieved in the sales of books, laptops and laptop backpacks during this period among the categories related to the start of school.