Victoria Retailers Brace for Final Week of Back to School Shopping Rush

VICTORIA, Seychelles — Stationery and uniform shops across central Victoria entered a final-week rush on Tuesday, as parents crowded the town area to pick up school supplies ahead of the new academic year for state institutions. Long queues could be seen at the larger tailors, with parents placing orders for both primary and secondary school uniforms and, in many cases, post-secondary outfits as well. Retailers said the foot traffic over the past weekend had already been higher than the same period last year.

At Cosmic Books and Stationery, the shelves were crowded with parents choosing pens, pencils, and exercise books for children of all ages. One parent, buying supplies for a six-year-old, said the search had been manageable. Stationery, in her view, was easier to get hold of in one place than the rest of the school kit. Other parents, however, described the run-up to term as hectic. One mother, who asked not to be named, said the biggest pressure was the closing time of the shops. Several parents spent the morning walking from store to store comparing prices and quality.

School bags were singled out as the most time-consuming item to source. One shopper said she had spent most of Saturday visiting half a dozen stores before settling on a bag. At Triloc’s store on the first floor of the 2-Mall, business was brisk, with the shopkeeper reporting that the last shipment of bags had sold out within a week. A second shipment was now awaited, and the shopkeeper said the customer base had grown since the previous Saturday.

At SA’s tailoring on the first floor of Diva’s arcade, seamstresses were taking orders for uniforms from both state and private schools. Long queues formed outside the small shop, with parents waiting to place orders or collect finished garments. A second tailor nearby said the most common requests from parents were for belts and school bags. Both tailors said they expected the rush to intensify as the week went on.

Retailers in Victoria said they were preparing for an even busier Saturday, which is traditionally the last big shopping day before the new school year begins. Several said they had brought in extra staff to cope with the queue. The school year for state institutions in Seychelles is expected to begin next week.