- Two out of three Poles will cover the costs of school supplies from their current income. This method of financing is slightly more often declared by men (69.7% vs. 64.7% of women).
- Less than 40% will take advantage of available social programs, and more than one in five (22.6%) will reach for savings. Only 1.1% will take advantage of the offer of a financial institution, and 0.2% will use family assistance.
- The products that the vast majority of Poles (88%) will buy as part of their school supplies are school supplies, e.g. a pencil case, notebooks and crayons.
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Retail chains offering school supplies
– According to the Provident Barometer, more than half of all parents, and as many as two thirds of carers aged 25 to 34, systematically prepare the layette throughout the entire holiday, which allows the cost of this expense to be spread over several months – this is a sensible approach that is less of a burden on our household budgets – says Karolina Łuczak, spokeswoman for Provident Polska.
– Less than 38% of all respondents devote the last few days of their vacation to this purpose. The youngest stand out in this category – 80.4% of them wait until the last minute to do their shopping. Only 2% do it on the last day before the start of the school year, and 6% prepare their school supplies during the first days of school – he adds.
We will spend less on the layette than last year
The return of one pupil to school will cost parents an average of PLN 656.62. The highest expenses are declared by residents of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship – PLN 1,269.97, and the Łódź Voivodeship – PLN 918.85. In turn, the lowest were recorded in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship – PLN 457.28 and the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship – PLN 495.90.
– We can say that the costs of school supplies are stabilizing – in last year's study we noted a record PLN 802, but in 2020-2022 this amount oscillated around PLN 330-350. Currently, due to the rising costs of living, such a budget is more difficult to maintain – only every fifth respondent will spend a maximum of PLN 300 – notes Karolina Łuczak. – This year, 40% of Poles completing school supplies want to fit in the amount between PLN 301 and PLN 500, and 27.3% will spend from PLN 501 to PLN 1,000. Only 1 in 10 people plans to spend more than PLN 1,000 – says the spokeswoman for Provident Polska.
Invariably, the biggest financial burden for parents is textbooks – this answer was indicated by 37.9% of all respondents and over half of people aged 45-54. For every fourth respondent, the most expensive thing is new clothes for children, and for less than 20% electronic equipment. A backpack is the main expense for every tenth person.
A layette smelling of newness
According to this year's Provident Barometer, only 4.3% of parents decide to buy as many used school supplies as possible. As many as 64.1% of caregivers choose only new products, while 31.6% buy partially new and used items. Men definitely prefer new items (70.4% vs. 59.4% of women), while women more often focus on a balance of new and used school supplies (35.4% vs. 26.5% of men).
When putting together a school kit, the most important thing for parents is the child's taste – 64.4% of them indicated this. Price, indicated by 63.4% of respondents, is only slightly less important. Functionality is the main criterion for 56.5% of people, and 31% care most about the educational value of the kit. Fashion is important for 9% of respondents.
Provident Barometer is a cyclical survey of Poles that allows for a better understanding of consumer behavior and financial decisions. The survey was conducted by Danae sp. z o. o. using the CAWI method on a sample of N = 1000 adult Poles, in July 2024.
