The start of school is just around the corner: This is how much parents spend on school bags!

The start of school is just around the corner: This is how much parents spend on school bags!

Today, August 14, 2025, is a very special day for many families in Cologne and the surrounding area. While the temperatures are 31 degrees and many children are looking to cool off in the outdoor pool, other parents are busy getting the right equipment for the start of school. Specialist shops, such as Lassner's Schulzeit in Frankfurt, are seeing a high volume of customers. Despite the early pre-orders that many parents placed before Easter, many are still heading back to the store to clarify the final details.

The trend is clearly towards comprehensive initial equipment for young children starting school. Depending on the number of books and the brands recommended by the teachers, this can easily cost over 100 euros. According to Idealo, parents in Germany spend an average of 666 euros on school enrollment, which underlines the importance of these purchases. The prices for school bags are on average between 123 euros and 200 euros for so-called “good” ratings from Stiftung Warentest. If you want to be on the safe side, you can also choose satchel sets that contain colored pencils or a geo triangle; these cost around 170 to 180 euros.

Diverse selection for the little ones

The selection is large. Parents can find a wide range of models on platforms like Schulranzen.com. Popular brands include Scout, Step by Step and DerDieDas, which are characterized by a wide variety of motifs and customization options. Many of the satchels also offer practical details, such as cell phone compartments and intelligent divisions - ideal for teaching small school children to stay organized.

For younger children, there are also kindergarten backpacks and bags that not only offer space for coloring pads and pens, but also contain safety features such as reflectors to increase visibility. Ergonomic school backpacks are very popular with parents because they support children's health. Many models are equipped with comfortable carrying straps that distribute the weight evenly and thus relieve the strain on the back and spine.

School bags and small gifts

Another highlight for starting school is the traditional school cone. Parents calculate an average of 75 euros for the school bag and its contents. Specialist retailers take advantage of this opportunity and, in addition to school bags, also offer school bags and small gifts. Items with Disney characters are particularly popular this year, especially anything that has to do with Stitch or the Robots movie characters.

Another point that parents in West Germany should not forget is the celebration after the first day of school. On average, they are already budgeting 377 euros for this, which is the largest cost item when starting school. Even if specialist retailers are suffering from pressure from online retailers and drugstores - such as the renowned Papier Kraemer, which has stopped selling school bags - the weeks before and after the start of school are the busiest time for stationery retailers.

Conclusion: Preparing for the start of school

Starting school is more than just buying a school bag - it's a whole experience for the family. Parents and children can take this important step together as businesses in the region prepare for increased demand. It will be exciting to see how sales will develop this year: The German Trade Association expects sales of 725 million euros, which represents a small increase compared to the previous year.