Overview
- The ICI/Franceinfo study with NielsenIQ, published Wednesday, August 26, 2026, values a 29-item school‑supplies basket at €134.17, a €1.85 drop from 2025.
- Many basic paper and textile items recorded small price falls, with an average schoolbag down about €1 and a pack of 12 felt pens down roughly €0.46.
- Several plastic-based products continued to rise in price, including calculators (+€0.42), fountain pens (+€0.31), and some branded soft binders (+€0.20).
- Households remain under strain: surveys report 46% of parents struggle to finance the rentrée and 69% say they must tighten spending, prompting shifts to private‑label goods, promotions, and clothing exchanges.
- Analysts say negotiations between retailers and suppliers completed before the Iran conflict limited cost pass‑through, while an IGF/IGAS report proposing about €4.2bn in family‑policy savings has increased worry about future public support.