By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Back-to-school suppliers yesterday said demand for their products was slowly increasing as children prepared to return to the classroom or virtual learning on October 5.

James Wallace, owner/operator of Janaees Uniform Centre, told Tribune Business: “We are having customers come in for school supplies, yes. Business has definitely picked up a bit from where it was, but unfortunately it is nowhere near the level of where it used to be, not that I am expecting it given the situation.

"Definitely we have seen a bit of traffic. I think this is people preparing for back-to-school, because what I understand is that they will have some in-school attendance later on this year. I think this is people trying to get in front of the rush with the social distancing requirements."

Mr Wallace added that it was impossible to compare the season to-date with prior year numbers given that the timing is so different, with back-to-school falling in July and August in 2019. He said: “The numbers haven’t really changed. I will have to wait until the season is actually over because I am not comparing apples with apples.

"Where I would have been comparing a day for the same people, I am now one-and-a-half months removed. So, I’m not really comparing apples with apples, so to speak. I would have to analyse it and try to interpret what the data is saying to me based on days before school opens or something. So it is not a straight linear conversion, or not a straight comparison."

Kaylecia Storr, Southwest Copy Centre's general manager, said "things are going very well" with the store offering 20 percent off on school supplies in addition to the Government's VAT holiday.

Pazia Bowe, Nassau Stationers general manager, added: “It was bound to pick up because it is back-to-school, and schools are still doing the virtual thing and the children still need their books. They may have some e-books for some subjects, but especially for the toddlers and the little children, the elementary school, they still need their books.

"The government schools, they usually come in. I think they open up in October, so we will see their parents shopping for them maybe by the middle to the end of this month, which would take us into October."