Uzbek Parents Increase Spending on School and Digital Tools

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Parents in Uzbekistan are increasingly combining traditional school purchases with online shopping, educational services and digital devices as they prepare for the new academic year, according to research by the Wildberries Research Center.

The study found that 86% of parents in Uzbekistan plan to buy goods for the new school year. Among them, 46% intend to make comprehensive preparations, while 40% plan to purchase only essential items. For 54% of parents, the budget per child has increased compared with last year, while online shopping is becoming a more common part of preparations for 1 September.

Online shopping makes school preparation easier

For most parents, Knowledge Day is associated primarily with calm and positive emotions. Some 34% said they expect 1 September to pass calmly, without strong emotions, while 32% associate it with joy and anticipation. At the same time, 17% view the start of the academic year as a stressful period because of upcoming expenses, and 13% experience mild anxiety.

Over the past two to three years, school preparation has become easier for 37% of parents because they can buy goods online. Another 22% said the wider selection of products has made the process more inspiring. However, 18% said preparations have become more difficult and expensive because of rising prices.

Women are more likely than men to say online shopping has made school preparation easier, with 44% of women giving this response compared with 19% of men.

Offline shopping remains popular

Despite the growth of online commerce, parents in Uzbekistan continue to actively use traditional stores. Among parents planning to purchase school goods, 62% use conventional stores, shopping centers and bazaars, while 54% use marketplaces.

Some 28% prefer to combine online and offline shopping approximately equally, 22% mainly shop online, 29% mainly shop offline, 11% use only online channels and 10% only offline channels.

Men are significantly more likely than women to rely exclusively on offline shopping, at 27% versus 5%. In addition, 38% of men use private sellers or local classified platforms, compared with 13% of women.

The main factors influencing school purchases are children's preferences, personal experience and habits, and price. The child's wishes were identified as the main factor by 44% of parents, personal experience and habit by 27%, and prices and inflation by 19%.

When choosing a specific product, price, discounts and special offers ranked first at 31%, while 28% considered the child's tastes and preferences most important.

2 million soums is the average budget per child

School preparation is becoming a significant household expense. The budget per child has increased for 54% of parents in Uzbekistan compared with last year. For 23%, it remained unchanged, while 5% said it had decreased.

The average school preparation budget is 2 million soums per child.

Some 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 prepared to spend more than 5 million soums.

Clothing and footwear account for 33% of the budget, followed by stationery and books at 27%, backpacks and accessories at 18%, and gadgets and digital services, including educational services, at 14%.

Spending is increasing particularly among families with several children. The budget has risen for 69% of parents with two children and 71% of parents with several children, compared with 44% of families with one child.

Parents invest in education and digital services

Some 44% of parents plan or are considering buying educational gadgets for their children. Of these, 27% already plan to make a purchase, while 17% are still considering it.

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

Men are more likely than women to plan gadget purchases, at 40% versus 23%. Parents of older schoolchildren also show greater interest in digital devices, with 33% considering a gadget purchase compared with 12% of parents of younger pupils.

Another 55% of parents plan or are considering educational subscriptions and tutoring services. Some 37% already plan to purchase them, while 18% are still considering the option.

Tutoring is the most popular choice, selected by 70% of parents in this group, followed by foreign-language courses at 63%, educational apps at 19%, electronic textbooks and study materials at 14%, and online schools at 12%.

Child safety becomes a separate expense

Some 60% of parents in Uzbekistan plan to buy safety-related products for their children or are considering doing so. Of these, 29% already plan a purchase and 31% are still considering it.

Smartwatches with GPS trackers are the most sought-after products in this category, at 48%, followed by protective phone cases with safety attachments at 31% and backpack trackers at 22%.

Men are more likely than women to plan safety-related purchases, at 40% versus 25%. Among families with two children, 44% plan such purchases, compared with 21% of families with one child.

Parents of middle-school pupils are more likely to choose protective phone cases with safety attachments, at 51% compared with 15% among parents of younger pupils. Parents of younger pupils are more likely to consider backpack alarms, at 18% versus 1% among parents of middle-school pupils.

Uniform remains the foundation of the school wardrobe

Some 86% of parents plan to buy school uniforms and clothing for the new academic year, while 84% plan to purchase school footwear.

A strict classic uniform remains the most popular option, chosen by 77% of parents. At the same time, 34% combine classic uniforms with casual elements depending on the day of the week or school requirements, 32% choose a sports style and 20% prefer a relaxed casual style.

Among parents of younger pupils, 84% choose classic uniforms, compared with 75% of parents of middle-school pupils and 85% of parents of older pupils.

Compliance with school requirements and comfort are the leading considerations when choosing clothing, each cited by 49% of parents. Another 41% consider fabric composition, 40% look at quality and durability, 38% at appearance and aesthetics, and 32% at price.

Parents of older schoolchildren are more likely to consider appearance, at 58% compared with 40% among parents of younger pupils. For parents of younger and middle-school pupils, compliance with school requirements is more important, at 52% and 49%, respectively.

Stationery, footwear and backpacks are the main purchases

Stationery is planned by 82% of parents, school uniforms and clothing by 86%, footwear by 84%, backpacks and bags by 70%, and sportswear and sports footwear by 69%.

Women are more likely than men to plan purchases across nearly all major categories: stationery at 90% versus 58%, uniforms at 92% versus 67%, footwear at 88% versus 72%, backpacks at 78% versus 45%, and sportswear at 75% versus 51%.

Among stationery products, pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners are the most popular, at 93%, along with notebooks at 93%. Covers for notebooks and books are selected by 83%, drawing albums and sketchbooks by 80%, and pencil cases by 71%.

Among books and textbooks, workbooks and exercise collections are the most popular at 79%. Textbooks for core subjects are planned by 56% of parents, books for developing skills by 43%, and fiction and reference books by 35% each.

1 September: not only shopping, but also gifts

While 38% of parents in Uzbekistan do not plan to celebrate Knowledge Day separately, 33% intend to mark 1 September and 29% have not yet decided.

Some 34% of parents plan to give their child a gift at the beginning of the school year. Stationery and books are the most popular options, at 33% each, followed by board and educational games at 25%, money at 24% and gadgets at 21%.

Gifts for children of relatives and acquaintances are less common among all buyers. Some 15% plan to give such gifts, 22% have not yet decided and 63% do not intend to do so.

Among those who plan to give gifts to relatives' and acquaintances' children, creative and hobby products are the most popular at 44%, followed by board and educational games at 33% and stationery at 30%.

School preparation becomes more digital, but traditional shopping habits remain

The study shows that school preparation in Uzbekistan is combining traditional and newer consumer habits. Parents continue to actively shop at offline stores and bazaars, while marketplaces have become one of the main channels for preparing for the academic year.

At the same time, interest in digital tools is growing, from smartphones and smartwatches to educational services and tutoring. Practical considerations remain the main priority, with parents focusing primarily on price, convenience, quality and compliance with school requirements, while increasingly taking their children's preferences into account.