KOCHI: The monsoon’s round the corner and so is the school reopening day. The days leading to the school reopening are hectic ones especially for the parents. According to Anusha, mother of a four-year-old who will be making her academic debut this year, the shops and malls are bustling with activity. “Parents are out scouring shops in search of the accessories most preferred by their kids,” she said. Superheroes, princesses and cartoon characters are the must haves, said Anusha. School accessories emblazoned with Marvel heroes like Hulk, Ironman, Captain America, Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh and Angry Birds have taken up the prime spots on the shelves at nearly all shops.
Boys prefer Ben 10, Spiderman and Chhotta Bheem, said another parent. Whereas Frozen and Dora are the favourites among the girls. “I want my school bag, pencil box, water bottle and nameslips to have Queen Elsa from Frozen,” said Diya, a KG student. However, children studying in senior classes prefer branded bags.
Umbrellas galore
Umbrellas are the prime among the must haves. Trend and technology go hand-in-hand to grab the kids’ attention. Varients like 3D, those with in-built bluetooth and 3m scotchlite reflective umbrellas are some of them. Children pester their parents to buy trendy, innovative umbrellas based on the advertisements. The price range for the umbrellas start from Rs 300 onwards.
The combo packs
Combo packs have made shopping easy for the parents. These packs include school bags, pencil box, lunch box, water bottle, umbrella and shoes. The rates of these packs range from Rs 149 to Rs 1,999. The package differs from shop to shop. While some include bags, pencil box and water bottles in the smaller combos, others throw in digital watch and socks in the bigger combos.
Muruga, Muruga, Puli Muruga...
Puli Murugan bags are also becoming a rage among the kids. Bag makers are cashing in on the popularity of the movie. Kottayam-based Maria Industries is the first one to introduce the Puli Murugan bag in the city. “The heroism of Puli Murugan had captured the hearts of many kids. This prompted me to come out with Puli Murugan bags. Tomichan Mulakuppadam, producer of Puli Murugan, helped me in this venture,” said Joby Johns, managing partner, Maria Industries.
These bags are available both online as well in the local market. The bags have been priced at Rs 490, Rs 695, Rs 795 and Rs 895. The bags are water resistant and have been designed for kids studying in Class 2 and above.
Johns considers his bags a breakthrough product to arrive in the market which had not seen anything new for quite sometime.
Giving competition to Puli Murugan is Baahubali. These bags will vie for attention in the campuses within a few days.
Advertisements, an influencing factor
Advertisements play a major role in influencing a kid’s choice. Products supplemented by free gifts like super hero masks, waterbottles, stickers, hot wheel cars etc. are the most preferred ones. “My son asked me to get a particular bag which had a super hero mask as gift,” said John, father of a six-year-old.
Duplicate products too have takers
While duplication is considered a villain by the branded companies, it comes as a blessing to many who can’t afford the prices of the originals. “Some parents who can’t afford the branded products seek out duplicate products to fulfil their kids’ wish,” said Ravikumar, a salesman at one of the leading shops in the city.