Parents, students rush back-to-school shopping

With classes set to resume on June 8, many students and parents across the country rushed to buy school supplies and uniforms on Saturday.

In Vonne Aquino's report on "24 Oras Weekend," shoppers flocked to a store in Davao City known for offering heavily discounted items.

“Sa mga magulang na meron lamang budget na P1,000, marami na silang mabibili. Merong sale sa maraming items like folder, intermediate na papel at notebook,” store staff member Chris Gabronino said.

(For parents with only a P1,000 budget, they can already buy a lot. Many items, including folders, intermediate paper and notebooks, are on sale.)

In downtown Iloilo City, shoppers also crowded stores, taking advantage of lower prices, with school uniforms emerging as one of the best-selling items.

“Ngayon lang may time kasi abala rin kami. Isa pa, kulang pa budget,” said Ruby, a shopper.

(We only found time now because we've been busy. On top of that, our budget was still short.)

“Mas maganda kung babaan ang presyo kasi mabili. Kasi kung mataas ang presyo, nagtatanong lang ang customer at umaalis na,” a vendor said.

(It's better to lower prices because items sell faster. If prices are too high, customers just ask and leave.)

In Mandaue City, Cebu, school uniforms are being sold for as low as P300.

“Ang pang-high school ay aabot sa halagang P580 hanggang P600, depende sa size. Okay lang, kaunti lang increase, nasa P10,” staff member Lynlyn Perez said.

(High school uniforms cost around P580 to P600, depending on the size. The increase is minimal, only around P10.)

However, with the onset of the rainy season, some stores in Dagupan City continue to experience sluggish sales despite discounted prices on school supplies.

The same situation was reported by vendors in Baclaran, according to another "24 Oras Weekend" report.

School supply vendors in Baclaran expressed concern over slow sales, which they attributed to the rainy weather and growing competition from online sellers.

“May matitira pa sigurado. Kasi sa dami ng online, sa online na lang sila umoorder,” vendor Diana Marquez said in Bernadette Reyes' report.

(We will definitely have unsold stocks. Because there are so many online sellers now, customers prefer to order online.)

“Maulan, maputik, bahain sa aming lugar, kaya medyo lugi po kami ngayon,” another vendor said.

(It's rainy, muddy, and our area is prone to flooding, so we're taking losses right now.)

On Saturday, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque inspected stores in Baclaran to monitor compliance with the DTI's school supply price guide.

According to Reyes' report, as of June 6, some school supply prices in Baclaran were lower than those found in malls:

• Notebook — P12 per piece (mall prices: P16 to P51)
• Yellow pad — P35 (mall price: P45)
• Eight-piece crayon set — P35 (mall price: P41)

“Ang daming options, whether physical stores or online, so hindi siya practical for them to put up the price, maiwanan lang sila ng inventory,” Roque said.

(Consumers now have many options, whether physical stores or online, so it is not practical for sellers to increase prices because they may be left with unsold inventory.)—Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/MCG, GMA News