The price of paper is skyrocketing. As a result, manufacturers are increasing their prices. Massive increases on consumer products, such as school notebooks, are expected for the start of the school year in September 2022. So how do you limit damage? Explanations with the president of the ADC (Consumer Defense Association) 54.
From the start of the school year, the checkout of school supplies promises to be saltier than usual. In question, the increase in the price of paper pulp and the cost of its production. Paper suppliers for schoolchildren and school notebooks are even announcing price increases on the shelves which could reach 25%. Are there solutions to limit the damage? Meeting with Guy Grandgirard, president of ADC 54 (Consumer Defense Association 54).
With the shortage of raw materials and soaring energy prices, the production of paper and cardboard is becoming more and more expensive and shelf prices are rising. “However, the household budget is not elastic and people do what they can. We therefore notice a destructuring of traditional consumption patterns, everyone rushes to the internet to hope to find the right deal”affirme Guy Grandgirard.
E-commerce can be a cheaper alternative for certain products, but you have to be very vigilant because there is an explosion of online scams.
Guy Grandgirard, President of ADC 54
–
Shopping on the internet can be a solution, because the products are often cheaper than in stores, but beware of scams. “E-commerce can be a cheaper alternative for certain products, but you have to be very vigilant because we are seeing an explosion of online scams. Do not be fooled by overly attractive offers because a product sold at tenth of the price in stores does not exist. Now the fake sites are very well done, so you have to favor the best known sites and check their reliability. For this, several tools exist, you have to monitor the legal notices of the site and if it is only three months old or it is anonymous, you have to drop it”insists the president of the ADC 54.
When the famous stationery brands offer prices that are inaccessible to the smallest budgets, there are more affordable entry-level products. “There can be discrepancies of several euros on a ream of paper, between a known brand and another product. The increase in a product such as Clairefontaine or Oxford paper, for example, is normal. However, we can fall back on products that are not big brands and that are cheaper but of good quality. It’s still paper, children can write very well on slightly cheaper notebooks”explains Guy Grandgirard.
Without stocking up, we can anticipate, because we know that we will need supplies at the start of the school year, such as a swimsuit in summer or a gift at Christmas.
Guy Grandgirard, President of ADC 54
–
One of the other possible solutions would be to try to anticipate to try to thwart the law of supply and demand. “Obviously, it doesn’t work for all products, but nothing prevents you from shopping when it’s not a very popular product. In other words, you have to think about buying early and when people are not all rushing to the product. Without stocking up, we can anticipate, because we know that we will need supplies at the start of the school year, such as a swimsuit in the summer or a gift at Christmas”advises the president of the Consumer Defense Association of Meurthe-et-Moselle.
Since the gradual post-lockdown economic recovery, the rise in paper prices has been caused by different factors. First of all, the resumption of consumption habits following the Covid crisis has led to a sudden demand for paper and difficulties in the transport and supply of raw materials. Then, the demand for packaging boxes, made of paper pulp, also exploded with the increase in remote orders. Finally, paper is an industry that consumes a lot of energy for its manufacture. Thus, the rise in the cost of gas and electricity since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine has had a heavy impact on the sector.
We certainly benefit from a tariff shield until the end of the year in France, but when it will stop, it will not be easy
Guy Grandgirard, President of ADC 54
–
“The increases affect all raw materials. Gas and electricity are just a few examples among many. We certainly benefit from a tariff shield until the end of the year in France, but when it will stop, it will not be easy. The impact of inflation is unfortunately inevitable and there is no real short-term solution because, in this context, rising prices are inevitable”concludes the president of the Consumer Defense Association of Meurthe-et-Moselle.
–
