These parents who fled the supermarket to buy school supplies

School bags, pencils, notebooks… The last week of August has not yet arrived, and people of all ages, with lists of supplies in hand, are rushing to the supermarket. Mandatory regulations at the beginning of the school year For some parents, it is an essential and even enjoyable ritual, while others struggle to hide their exasperation as they scramble to do chores at the end of the traditional holiday. Too long, too tedious and too expensive (€210 for a sixth-grader, according to the French Family Association’s barometer), back-to-school shopping in the supermarket is no longer popular. Fortunately for reluctant parents, alternative solutions to the traditional trip to the supermarket are multiplying.

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Alexandra is a Parisian mother in her forties who is tired of running around the shops looking for the red notebook covers her French teacher required or the stylish diaries her daughters saw on YouTube. “We always thought it was going to be quick, but in the end, it took over the entire last week of the holiday season.”she sighs. Last year, she used the online platform Rencontrediscount.com for the first time. “The principle is simple: you enter your child’s institution in the search bar of the website and you are directed to the list of supplies you need. The website directly constitutes a shopping basket, but we can obviously adapt it to suit budget or wishes. Everything will then be delivered to his address. “It’s very practical. I won’t go back. Of course, this does not prevent the pleasure of replenishing during walks and personal purchases. But in Paris, where real supermarkets are few and prices in stationery stores are often high, this is a real solution to ease the purchasing power.she believed.

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Save 50 to 70 Euros

If Alexandra admitted that she had not kept the various receipts from previous school years, she believed she had won “At least 50 euros”last year, and “I’m almost 70 this year.”. “Of course, this is not only because the goods on the website are cheaper than those in stationery stores or supermarkets, but also because it is easier to resist children’s whims online.”. On this purchasing platform, there is no risk of ending up with a glitter backpack or fifteen highlighters in your shopping cart. “I shop on this site with my children but I find they spend less money on the internet and are less persistent. It’s easier to uncheck items in a virtual shopping cart than to take them away from the children in a supermarket.Many mothers use this technique at her younger daughter’s school and her older daughter’s college. “We spread the word””, the forty-year-old man smiled.

Famille de France estimates that across France, this type of sales will account for 20 to 25 percent of back-to-school purchases. Agencies that offer supply lists on their websites often offer to put a portion of the order total into the school’s coffers. This is the case at the Tomi Ungerer Academy in Dettwiller, which invites students to enter a promotional code when completing their purchase. No reduction on arrival, but a guarantee of “percentage” It will be paid to the Parents Association to help fund the school and extracurricular programs.

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“A way to get involved in your child’s education”

Online or in store, Bulk OrdersAnother way of back-to-school shopping has also been popular with parents in recent years. Because, on the surface, ordering together can only bring benefits: saving time, saving money, and better cohesion between parents and teachers. Especially since Stationery Eager to compete with the appeal of online purchasing platforms, many offer bulk orders in preparation for the start of the school year. In Bédouin (Vaucluse), the bookshop La Renarde offers parents the opportunity to make group orders from its online sales site. There are many brands to choose from and any products that are clearance or at the end of a series are usually sold at low prices. “Prices will drop according to order quantity”commented on the management of the institution on Facebook, for the benefit of parents.

Bulk ordering is “work”

But bulk order rhymes with neither ‘Simple solution’. Because contrary to what people imagine, it is neither the National Education nor the educational institutions that take care of it. It is up to the parents to get together to solve this. Generally, adult volunteers design a kit for each level, and the kit must be verified by the teacher in charge of the class. Then comes the quotation and negotiation with the supplier. Here, parents of students often take advantage of this to visit short-circuit suppliers, such as this private Saint-Magloire College in Brittany-Dor, Ille-Vilaine, whose main suppliers are local bookstores and stationery stores. Once the quotation is verified, the parents will make a collective delivery and pack all the supplies included in the kit into the bag by themselves.

“This is work”Tanya admitted that she was the mother of four children, including a 12-year-old girl. “In a way, we do the work so other parents don’t have to do it.”she commented clearly. Nevertheless, she still believed in the merits of this purchasing method. “In my opinion, offering low prices while supporting local businesses is a win-win for everyone. Plus, most parents buy kits rather than take care of it themselves.For Tanya, the volunteer assignment also provided an opportunity to build a closer relationship with her daughter’s teacher, whom she did not yet know and who had just entered the sixth grade. “It’s a way to get involved in your child’s education and meet friendly, engaged parents.”she says excitedly. His only regret: when so many school supplies could get a second life, bulk orders still prioritize new products. “I’m also a big supporter of swapping and selling supplies between mothers in real life, on Facebook or on Le Bon Coin”. Enough to give ideas to all those about to head to the supermarket…