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People buy uniforms at a Bulawayo outlet recently

Kiyapili Sibanda, Business Reporter
UNIFORM and stationery suppliers in Bulawayo say they have recorded brisk business this week on the back of first term schools opening.

The Central Business District was a hive of activity between Monday and Wednesday as parents made last minute rush to buy uniforms and stationery for their children.

The first term usually attracts big business given that many pupils starting from Early Childhood Development (ECD), Grade One and Form Ones, will be going to school for the first time while other grades would be changing levels.

A snap survey conducted by Business Chronicle revealed that business was at its peak at leading suppliers of school ware and small scale stationery outlets.

Vendors also took advantage of the surge in demand to make a killing by selling their wares on pavements.

There were long queues at outlets such as Toppers Uniforms, Matopo Book Centre and Esats, forcing management to arrange that buyers enter in batches to maintain order.

Most parents said they were satisfied with prices. A woman who identified herself as Mrs Mpofu said the prices being charged at Toppers were fair.

“Boys primary school uniforms are selling for between $17 and $18 while those for girls cost  betwen $12  and $14. The prices are good and acceptable even in the face of the cash challenges the country is facing,” she said.

A worker at Toppers said: “At this time of the year we always have this kind of pressure because parents will be busy buying uniforms.”

Another uniform supplier in the city, The Wear House, said business was good although relatively lower than last year.

The outlet supplies uniforms to schools such as Maranatha Primary, Portland Primary and Petra High School. Their uniforms range from $9 to $37.

Matopo Book Centre workers said they were working under pressure as demand for stationery was high.

“We are doing very well as an increassing number of parents are buying stationery for their children,” said Mr Michael Mpala, the shop manager.

He said their main customers were parents with ECD, Grades Zero and One children.

Mr Mpala also said their shop accepted use of plastic money hence buyers had no cash challenges.

The story was however different for Browns Stationery which said it had limited stocks following the removal of stationery from the Open General Import Licence.

@Kiyaz_Cool