From school uniforms to GPS watches: What Uzbeks are buying for September 1st – Wildberries research

From school uniforms to GPS watches: what Uzbeks are buying for September 1st, according to a Wildberries study

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) —

The Wildberries Research Center analyzed how parents in the CIS countries are preparing for the new school year and what purchases they plan to make by September 1st.

According to Wildberries, most parents in Uzbekistan are preparing for school well in advance: 86% intend to purchase goods for the new school year. Of these, 46% plan extensive preparations, while 40% plan only the bare necessities. For many families, preparing for school has become more expensive: 54% of parents report an increase in their per-child budget. Meanwhile, online shopping is increasingly becoming a part of preparations for September 1st.

Online shopping simplifies preparation for school.

For most parents, September 1st is primarily associated with calm and positive emotions. Thirty-four percent of parents in Uzbekistan look forward to Knowledge Day calmly, without unnecessary worries, while another 32% look forward to it with joy and anticipation. Meanwhile, 17% perceive the start of the school year as a stressful period due to upcoming expenses, and 13% experience mild anxiety.

Over the past two to three years, back-to-school preparation has become easier for 37% of parents thanks to online shopping. Another 22% believe that the wide selection has made the process more inspiring. However, 18% note that preparation has become more difficult and expensive due to rising prices.

Women are more likely than men to believe that online shopping has made preparation easier: 44% of women versus 19% of men.

Offline shopping still holds a strong position.

Despite the growth of online retail, parents in Uzbekistan continue to actively use traditional stores. Among those planning to buy back-to-school supplies, 62% choose brick-and-mortar stores, shopping centers, and bazaars, while 54% choose marketplaces.

Moreover, 28% of parents prefer a roughly equal mix of online and offline shopping. 22% shop primarily online, 29% primarily offline, 11% use only online channels, and 10% only offline.

Men are significantly more likely to shop exclusively offline—27% versus 5% of women. Also, 38% of men use private sellers or local classifieds sites versus 13% of women.

The main factors in choosing school supplies remain the child's preferences, personal experience and habits, and price. Forty-four percent of parents cited their child's preferences as the main factor, followed by personal experience and habits—27%, and prices and inflation—19%.

When choosing a specific product, price, discounts, and special offers are top priorities—31%. Another 28% focus on their child's tastes and preferences.

2 million soums is the average budget per child

Preparing for school is becoming a significant expense for families. For 54% of parents in Uzbekistan, the budget per child has increased compared to last year. For 23%, it remained unchanged, and for 5%, it has decreased.

The average budget for preparing a child is 2 million Uzbek soums.

At the same time, 31% of parents plan to spend up to 1 million soums, 61% expect to spend between 1 million and 5 million soums, and 8% are willing to spend more than 5 million soums.

Clothing and footwear account for the bulk of the budget, accounting for 33%. Another 27% is spent on stationery and books, 18% on backpacks and accessories, and 14% on gadgets and digital services, including educational services.

The increase in spending is particularly noticeable among families with several children: 69% of parents with two children and 71% of parents with many children saw their budgets increase, compared to 44% of families with one child.

Parents Invest in Education and Digital Services

44% of parents are planning or considering purchasing gadgets for their children's education. Of these, 27% are already planning a purchase, and 17% are still considering it.

Smartwatches and trackers are the most popular—42%, followed by smartphones at 34%, tablets at 30%, and laptops at 24%.

Men are more likely than women to plan to purchase gadgets—40% versus 23%. Parents of older schoolchildren also show greater interest in digital devices: 33% are considering purchasing gadgets, compared to 12% of parents of elementary school children.

Another 55% of parents are planning or considering educational subscriptions and tutoring services. 37% are already planning to purchase them, and 18% are still considering it.

Tutoring services top the list, chosen by 70% of parents in this group. They are followed by foreign language courses (63%), educational apps (19%), electronic textbooks and manuals (14%), and online schools (12%).

Child safety is becoming a separate expense item.

Another notable trend is parents' increasing attention to their children's safety on the way to and from school.

60% of parents in Uzbekistan are planning to purchase child safety products or are considering doing so. 29% are already planning a purchase, while another 31% are still considering it.

Smartwatches with GPS trackers are the most popular, at 48%. Next come protective phone cases with safety mounts (31%), and backpack trackers (22%).

Men are more likely than women to plan to purchase safety products: 40% versus 25%. Among families with two children, the figure is 44%, compared to 21% among families with one child.

Middle school parents are more likely to choose protective phone cases with clips—51% versus 15% of elementary school parents. Parents of younger students are also more likely to consider backpack alarms—18% versus 1% of middle school parents.

Uniforms Remain the Foundation of the School Wardrobe

By the start of the school year, 86% of parents plan to buy school uniforms and clothing, and 84% plan to buy school shoes.

Strict, classic uniforms remain the most popular option, chosen by 77% of parents. Meanwhile, 34% combine classic uniforms with casual elements depending on the day of the week or school requirements, 32% choose a sporty style, and 20% choose relaxed casual.

Among elementary school parents, 84% choose classic uniforms, 75% of middle school parents, and 85% of high school parents.

When choosing clothing, compliance with school requirements and comfort are the top priorities—49% each. Another 41% pay attention to fabric composition, 40% to quality and durability, 38% to appearance and aesthetics, and 32% to price.

Parents of older schoolchildren are more likely to pay attention to the appearance of clothing—58% versus 40% of parents of elementary school students. For parents of elementary and middle school students, compliance with school requirements is more important—52% and 49%, respectively.

Stationery, shoes, and backpacks are the top purchases

Basic categories lead the way in terms of school purchases. 82% of parents plan to purchase stationery, 86% school uniforms and clothing, 84% shoes, 70% backpacks and bags, and 69% sports uniforms and shoes.

Women are more likely than men to purchase almost all major categories: stationery (90% versus 58%), uniforms (92% versus 67%), shoes (88% versus 72%), backpacks (78% versus 45%), and sportswear (75% versus 51%).

Among stationery items, the most popular are pens, pencils, erasers, and sharpeners (93%), followed by notebooks (93%). Notebook and book covers are chosen by 83%, drawing pads and sketchbooks by 80%, and pencil cases by 71%.

Among books and textbooks, workbooks and exercise books are the most popular (79%). Fifty-six percent of parents plan to buy textbooks on core subjects, 43% plan to buy skill-building books, and 35% each plan to buy fiction and reference books.

September 1st: Not Just Shopping, But Gifts Too

While 38% of parents in Uzbekistan don't plan to celebrate Knowledge Day separately, 33% plan to do so on September 1st, and 29% haven't decided yet.

34% of parents plan to give their child a gift for the start of the school year. The most popular gifts include stationery and books (33% each), board games and educational games (25%), money (24%), and gadgets (21%).

However, gifts to the children of relatives and friends remain less common among all shoppers: 15% plan to give them, 22% are undecided, and 63% have no plans to do so.

Among those planning such gifts for the children of relatives and friends, the most popular are arts and crafts and hobbies (44%), board games and educational games (33%), and stationery (30%).

Back-to-school preparation is becoming more digital, but parents maintain their traditional purchasing patterns.

Research shows that preparations for September 1st in Uzbekistan combine traditional and new consumer habits. Parents continue to actively purchase school supplies in brick-and-mortar stores and bazaars, but marketplaces have become one of the main channels for preparing for the school year.

At the same time, interest in digital tools is growing—from smartphones and smartwatches to educational services and tutors. However, practicality remains the primary focus: parents primarily consider price, convenience, quality, and compliance with school requirements, and they increasingly consider their child's opinion when choosing products.