To mark the start of the school year, we at MKOR have prepared in the best way we know how: with a fresh study on this topic. As such, we asked Romanians how they prepare for the start of school, what purchases they make for their children who are students or preschoolers, where they shop, and how much they spend.
The study has just been finalized, so we are still analyzing the most relevant data. However, because today is the first day of school, we have extracted some data from the analysis that we believe will interest you.
In the coming days, we will return with additional details about issues and perspectives in public and private education, specifically the budgets Romanians allocate for tutoring and for which subjects.
Sign up here if you want us to send you an email once we finish analyzing the data.
Back to School 2019 Study Results
According to our study, Romanians strive to provide their children with everything they need for the new school year. Thus, expenses for the new school year increase as children move from one school cycle to another.
While for a preschooler the total average budget amounts to over 1740 lei, for a high school student parents spend even more than 2650 lei. This is considering that the average net monthly salary is 3119 lei, according to INS data published in June 2019.
On the occasion of the start of the new school year, 9 out of 10 children will go to school with new clothes and school supplies, items for which more than a quarter of the total money allocated for the start of school is spent. Almost 3 out of 10 parents also invest in preparing the workspace at home, purchasing various pieces of furniture, for which they allocate at least 60 lei.
School textbooks are on the shopping list for only 1 out of 10 parents, and the budget allocated for them increases with the educational cycle the students are in. Thus, while in primary school textbooks cost an average of 570 lei, parents of a high school student end up paying almost 980 lei for them. In middle school, textbooks cost students 680 lei, on average.
To make all the necessary purchases for the start of the school year, parents mainly turn to physical stores (53%), while 46% do these purchases both online and offline. Almost half of them prefer hypermarkets and supermarkets, where they can complete almost the entire shopping list for the new school year. Among these, the favorites are Carrefour, Auchan, Lidl and Kaufland.
Faced with a very rich offer of products, parents place the highest value on teachers’ recommendations when choosing which textbooks and school supplies to purchase.
In general, the quality of the purchased products is very important, with parents choosing products for their children that ensure durability as well as comfort. Children also have an important say in the selection of products from the shelf, this being even above the cost-related criteria.
The study was conducted using the online opinion survey method (CAWI). The sample size is 850 children between 3 and 17 years old, enrolled in an educational institution (interviewed by proxy, with parents being the ones surveyed). The sample is representative at a national level for the population with internet access, with a margin of error of 3.4%, at a 95% confidence interval.
Stay on trend with MKOR
We, MKOR Consulting, put our own advice into practice and try to always stay up to date with the latest innovations in marketing, technology, and business.
That is why, in addition to projects carried out for our clients’ specific needs, we conduct our own studies and market reports. We are pleased to offer the data obtained through research to anyone who wishes to access it.
