Prices for some school supplies have risen 5–10% ahead of the new academic year as higher shipping, import, and production costs pressure retailers. To protect demand amid squeezed household budgets, traders have absorbed a significant portion of these cost increases, according to three commercial sources who spoke to Al Manassa.
Households are increasingly turning to cheaper products and cutting consumption amid cost-of-living pressures, prompting traders to limit price increases where possible. Imported supplies remain particularly exposed to higher transportation and shipping costs, while local manufacturers are expanding production to offer cheaper alternatives.
The price pressures follow a sharp rise in inflation since March, driven by the regional fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which prompted government hikes in fuel and electricity prices. Annual inflation reached 13% in July, according to CAPMAS, forcing families to cut spending and shift toward cheaper domestic alternatives.
Taha Abu Gabal, a board member of the stationery and children’s toys division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, said local production costs surged following global commodity price spikes and inflated shipping rates tied to the conflict. He noted that traders chose to absorb much of the burden to keep products accessible and stimulate consumer demand.
Imported goods remain particularly vulnerable to transportation overheads. Mohamed El-Ashry, another stationery division member at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, noted that imported products account for roughly 60% of school supplies, including backpacks, pens, water bottles, and lunch boxes. To cushion families from price hikes, traders have relied heavily on surplus inventory from last season.
Alaa Adel, a member of the stationery division, said local industries have increasingly expanded production of school supplies in recent months, providing cheaper alternatives, particularly for families trying to reduce spending.
Simultaneously, domestic manufacturers have expanded production to offer affordable options. Alaa Adel, a member of the stationery division, said reliance on imported items among low-income households dropped by 60% to 70% as high-quality, Egyptian-made alternatives entered the market at reasonable prices.
Cheap paper, expensive books
However, a paradox has emerged in the textbook market: prices for supplementary schoolbooks have risen despite a decline in raw paper costs. Amr Khedr, head of the paper trade division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, called the price hikes “unjustified,” noting that paper accounts for approximately 70% of book production costs.
Khedr said locally produced paper, including output from the Qena and Edfu factories, had fallen by about 4,000 Egyptian pounds ($78) per ton from last year, to between 37,000 and 44,000 pounds ($725-$860) per ton.
Imported paper prices have also fallen, ranging from 42,000 to 45,000 pounds ($820-$880) per ton, he said.
Egypt produces about 200,000 tons of paper annually, while domestic consumption ranges between 400,000 and 420,000 tons a year. The gap between production and consumption is covered through imports, Khedr said.
Khedr added that printing presses finalized delivery of first-semester schoolbooks late last month under a state tender awarded to 44 printing houses. The contract was valued at nearly 1 billion Egyptian pounds ($19.6 million), down from 1.1 billion pounds ($21.6 million) the previous academic year.
Despite lower tender values and falling raw material costs, publishers increased supplementary book prices, leaving families to absorb the extra burden.
