With some schools already open and others set to reopen within the next few days, city shops selling school accessories are seeing a heavy footfall.
The school bag sections are especially busy. Bags of different types and colours line shelves and walls of shops. Children’s favourites, unsurprisingly, are those with cartoon characters.
Bags with popular characters from Avengers, Ben 10, Hulk, and Angry Birds to superheroes and Disney characters are a hit. Those with cars and toy story characters, in colours dark and light, also occupy the shelves.
With 3D bags of the same available, children are even more keyed up. “It is mostly small children who opt for ‘cartoon’ bags. A majority choose branded bags,” says Ravi of a shop at Pazhavangady.
Agrees Saji Rasheed of a bag store at Palayam, “Nowadays, everyone is demanding branded bags.” Changing trends are also reflected in the children’s preferences. Boys prefer bags in dark shades with their superheroes and Angry Birds, while girls fancy princess bags in lighter shades of pink or blue. Dora, Chhota Bheem, and Pokémon have, however, been pushed down the popularity ladder. “I want an Avenger’s bag,” demands Nithin at a shop where his family has dropped in for shopping.
Earlier, these bags used to cost Rs.1,000 and more as they were made only by popular brands.
But with many local brands taking up the copyright, these are more affordable, with prices starting from Rs.500. Smaller bags, for kindergarten children, are available from Rs.300. The prices vary according to the models. ScooBee Day continues to be among the top favourites, with brisk sales. “My daughter asked for a Scoobee Day bag, as she liked the advertisements,” says Naveen, father of Diya, a UKG student.
For older students too, there is choice aplenty. “Parents prefer lightweight bags for their children,” says Alan Pradeep Charles of a store at Pulimoodu. One can opt for strolleys too, if one doesn’t want to lift the bags all the time. “Branded bags are moving the most this season, as they are of high quality and more durable,” Mr. Charles says. Students want quality, but also a dash of style. Comfortable and stylish is what Arun, a student of class 8, goes for.
These branded bags start from Rs.1,200. Several of them come with warranty period offers.
