If the big holidays start in a few days, some parents are already worried about the next school year. Indeed, the prices of school supplies were negotiated last year, in the midst of the energy crisis and soaring paper prices. “We already bought the products six months ago, 10% more expensive than the year before”, specified this Wednesday morning on Franceinfo Michel-Edouard Leclerc, president of the Leclerc centers. What to predict the worst.
On the shelves, the increases should however be less significant, thanks to suppliers and distributors who are cutting back on their margins. “We will perhaps [arrive] at 2 or 3% increase”, underlines Michel-Edouard Leclerc, before adding that “certain offers” promotional will be carried out in its stores.
The Carrefour group will “strengthen its promotions this year on products particularly popular with customers”, such as UHU glue, large square single sheets or even diaries. Last May, Thierry Cotillard, president of the Mousquetaires, already predicted “3% increase on back-to-school products compared to last year”. Inflation which even rises “to 10% if we go back 18 months”.
Guillaume Nusse, CEO of Clairefontaine-Rhodia, wants to be even more alarmist: “On the shelves, on a basic notebook, we are more on increases of 30 to 40% over two years.” However, families seem to be “making trade-offs” and the company has sold “as many high-end products in 2022” as in previous years. An observation shared by Martial Ardant, managing director of the Hamelin France group, which manages the Oxford brand: “Parents continue to invest in education and choose national brand products rather than private labels. They also favor innovations.” The two directors also relativize the price increases, “a few euros for supplies that last a year”.
If prices have increased consecutively over two years, the start of the 2024 school year will mark time. “There will be no increase next year,” notes Guillaume Nusse, who anticipates the negotiations this fall between distributors and suppliers. “The ton of paper was 600 euros in 2021, then climbed to 1300 euros in 2022 and we are currently at 1100 euros today”, he explains, before adding that he “expected [ however] to a more substantial decline”. According to him, “there will thus be an easing of prices on the shelves, but not a collapse”.
