This year, besides a plethora of school bags with cartoon and fairytale images, Baahubali backpack has caught the attention of school-going children.
With pictures of Baahubali and Ballala Deva in the battlefield portrayed on the bags, the model is flying off the shelves as soon as it arrives.
Though themes such as Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Frozen animated film; the adventurous Chhota Bheem and his laddu -offering friend Chutki and Doraemon who comes to the rescue of Nobita continue to be popular among younger age groups, Baahubali images form a significant part of the fresh arrivals.
Despite several e-commerce players offering huge discounts on branded bags, retailers say many prefer to walk into the store for school bags. “This is primarily because the size of the bag varies when people buy it online,” says Anik Hirawat, managing director of Hirawats, Dabagardens. He says the stores received limited stock of Baahubali bags and it got sold out in no time.
Parents too show keen interest in catering to the specific demands of their kids. “Though the last year’s school bag continues to be in good condition, every academic year we need to shell out a considerable amount for the bag to keep pace with the changing trends. My son who is studying in Class VI says his classmates bring one of the best bags to the school and he demands us to buy a similar piece. However, his choice keeps changing and this year he settled for a bag with Ben 10 picture on it,” reasons G. Madhuri, a parent.
Cashing in on the seasonal business, vendors at Jagadamba junction witness a significant rise in the sale of school bags over the past few years. “There is always a definite sale till July first week. Customers visit the shop with a specific demand. While boys go for bags with pictures of Spiderman, Doraemon, Ben 10 and minions, girls prefer images of Barbie, Elsa and Chutki,” says Md. Razak, a bag vendor at Jagadamba junction. He said this year the business volume has gone up by 30 per cent.
