The price of a ballpoint pen from a certain brand can vary by up to 276% depending on the stationery store where it is purchased in the city of São Paulo. This is what a survey carried out by Procon-SP in December and released this Friday (2) revealed.
According to the research, in a stationery store in the north of São Paulo, a ballpoint pen can be found for R$ 1.30. However, if this same pen is purchased in an establishment in the city center, the consumer will already pay more for it: R$4.90.
This price difference for the same school product was also observed in other cities in the state. In Presidente Prudente, for example, the same highlighter can cost between R$1.95 and R$4.20. In Ribeirão Preto, also in the interior of São Paulo, the price of a sharpener can vary by 196%, costing between R$3.20 and R$9.50.
Procon informs that, although the difference in the price of the pen or highlighter is reasonably low, it can end up making a difference when you intend to purchase the entire shopping list of school supplies. Therefore, warns the agency, it is important for consumers to research and make a price comparison before going shopping. Furthermore, it is recommended to reuse products from the material list that you already have at home.
Procon also advises consumers to check whether the establishment offers discounts for purchases in large quantities. In this case, the consumer can get together with other parents to make a collective purchase. It is also important to check whether the establishment charges different prices depending on the payment instrument such as pix and credit card.
The search
The survey carried out by Procon analyzed the price of 134 items from the list of school supplies such as sharpener, eraser, notebook, ballpoint pen, crayons, glue, colored pencils, black pencils, bond paper, ruler and scissors. In the capital of São Paulo, price collection was carried out in nine commercial establishments spread across all regions of the city.
The research was also carried out in the Baixada Santista region and in the cities of Bauru, Campinas, Presidente Prudente, Ribeirão Preto, São José do Rio Preto, São José dos Campos and Sorocaba. The study can be consulted on the Procon-SP website.
