“Back to school” is becoming increasingly bitter for Belgian parents. The price of basic school materials has skyrocketed in recent months, thanks partly to record high inflation and the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, La Libre Belgique reveals.
Massive disruptions to the supply chain, the rising price of energy, and a lack of certain critical raw materials have impacted some basic school goods. The price of paper has risen significantly, increasing the price of notebooks, writing paper, and diaries for students.
“The price of school supplies has increased by an average of 15-20% compared to the start of the 2021 school year. The price of certain notebooks has even exploded by more than 40%,” Pierre-Alexandre Billiet, CEO of the Gondola group, tells La Libre Belgique.
The war in Ukraine has significantly impacted international supply chains, depleting the reserves of some products. A shortage of paper has driven up costs by 35% since 2019 and supply has not increased to meet demand.
“The situation is even worse in Belgium because the smaller the country, the greater the price increase. Although Belgian paper companies are running at full speed and posting record results, the Belgian supply is more limited in relation to demand than in other countries,” the expert said.
The increased price of oil has equally had a knock-on effect on plastics, which are frequently used in school products ranging from clothing and footwear to school bags, pens, and other stationery. Billiet stated that he was surprised that there had not been a more significant increase in the price of these products.
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Not simply a result of the war in Ukraine, the price of paper has been extremely volatile since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019. The shift from traditional shopping to e-commerce, which surged by 40% during the pandemic, increased tenfold the need for paper products internationally.
“Even before the war in Ukraine, paper production in Europe was in the process of being reorganised. Although the e-commerce market has since stabilised, it takes time for the industry to adapt,” Billiet explained.
Other factors have had a less significant impact on the price, especially of paper goods. New corporate social responsibility (CSR) guidelines have forced producers to source more sustainable supplies of paper, which in turn has impacted prices.
“I have the impression that this back to school will be financially difficult,” the economist concluded.
