While parents' stationery shopping accelerates within the scope of the 2026-2027 academic year, experts state that the content, safety and manufacturer information of the products that children directly come into contact with should be taken into consideration.
Consumers Union Chairman Mahmut Şahin told the AA correspondent that he wished that the new education period would be beneficial for students and parents, and that stationery shopping increased with the opening of schools and product inspections gained importance in this period.
Pointing out that parents do not have the opportunity to control the production conditions and contents of the products they will purchase, Şahin stated that public institutions have an important responsibility in detecting and preventing the sale of products containing substances harmful to children's health, and that parents should be careful when choosing products since inspection at different sales points is not always possible.
Addressing the issues that parents should pay attention to while shopping, Şahin said, "The signs on the products should be paid attention to. The 'TSE' and 'CE' signs, which are approved to comply with the standards, should be our simplest measure. These signs mean the guarantee certificate of health in these products. Because both stationery and some school supplies may contain materials that are risky for the health of our children." he said.
Stating that school bags and textile products may contain synthetic azo dyes, erasers may contain phthalates, metal materials may contain nickel, and water bottles may contain Bisphenol A, Şahin suggested that solvent-free water-based adhesives should be preferred and scented products should be avoided.
Şahin said, "I advise our parents to explain this situation to their children, who are under the influence of social media and other children of parents who buy flashy but unhealthy products, in a way they can understand." he said.
Stating that healthy products can be purchased in bulk through commissions to be established within the parent-teacher associations, Şahin said that students can use the same products, thus providing economic contribution to families and preventing economic differences among students from becoming evident.
Consumer Confederation (TÜKONFED) Deputy Chairman İbrahim Güllü emphasized that before the new academic year, millions of families are heading to stationery stores and websites to meet their children's school needs, and that shopping should be done carefully not only in terms of price, but also in terms of product safety, quality, label information and consumer rights.
Pointing out that although the price is the first thing families look at due to their limited budgets and low purchasing power, product safety should not be neglected, Güllü said, "Your child's health and the family budget should not be left on the shelf. We would like to point out that the criteria of 'cheap', 'bestselling', 'popular' or 'recommended by the phenomenon' are not sufficient on their own, especially for pencils, erasers, paints, adhesives, sharpeners, lunchboxes and similar products that children directly come into contact with. Yes "Our budget is important, but health is even more important." he said.
Güllü stated that the Ministry of Commerce has accelerated its inspections of stationery and school products before the new academic year, and noted that it is important for children's health to inspect the products in terms of safety and label information and to recall those deemed unsafe from the market.
Stating that 479 thousand 847 products in 3 thousand 612 businesses were examined in the stationery inspections carried out by the Ministry of Commerce in 81 provinces between 10-14 August, administrative sanctions were imposed on 367 businesses and 2 thousand 954 businesses were warned, Güllü stated that these data reveal that consumers should be more careful when shopping for stationery.
İbrahim Güllü emphasized that parents should be more careful about products with licensed characters, scents, colors or toy appearances that attract the attention of children, and said, "Just as a product is expensive does not mean that it is of high quality, and being cheap does not necessarily mean that it is bad. Consumers should check the product's safety information, manufacturer or importer information, age warnings, necessary signs and instructions for use, and should not buy products that do not suit their needs just because they are popular. Social media and peer influence can turn school shopping from a necessity into a consumption race. Some brands can turn school shopping into a consumption race for children." "It can become a status and fashion indicator rather than just a stationery product." he said.
Güllü said that children can demand popular stationery and school products from their families in order not to fall behind others or maintain their status due to peer and environmental pressure, and that at this point, the child's wishes and real needs should be separated. He noted that parents should give priority to the products deemed necessary by the school and the teacher, and children should be made aware that the most expensive and popular product is not always the best.
Güllü stated that documents are important in case of disputes that the consumer may experience after shopping, and suggested that receipts or invoices should be kept, and order, payment and delivery records should be kept for online shopping.
He noted that documenting defective or different products than promised with photos and videos, and if the label and case price are different, documenting the shelf price with photos will facilitate the legal process.
Stating that parents should especially check the price tags during the period when stationery shopping is intense, Güllü said, "According to the legislation, if there is a difference between the sales price of the product and the cash register price, the price in favor of the consumer is applied. In other words, if the shelf or label price is lower, the consumer has the right to shop at the lower price. Therefore, parents should look at the shelf price, check the product at the register, and object if there is a difference." he said.
Güllü stated that price tags should be readable, truthful and not misleading, and noted that any discrepancies in this regard can be reported to the Provincial Directorates of Commerce, municipalities and relevant chambers.
Suggesting that the Unsafe Product Information System (GÜBİS) be checked before stationery shopping, Güllü stated that the products determined to be unsafe by authorized public institutions are published there.
Emphasizing that the consumer should research the seller and carefully examine the product descriptions and delivery conditions when shopping for stationery online, Güllü said, "Social media advertisements, influencer recommendations or a high number of followers alone are not indicators of reliability. The consumer should check who the seller is, contact information, product features, delivery conditions and after-sales processes. Particularly, one should be more careful about products that are offered well below the market price and seem too attractive to be real." he said.
Stating that consumers can apply for legal remedies if the dispute with the seller cannot be resolved, Güllü noted that in 2026, in consumer disputes under 186 thousand liras, applications can be made to Consumer Arbitration Committees and transactions can be carried out through the Consumer Information System (TÜBİS) via e-Government.
Emphasizing that the educational environment should be kept away from commercial orientations, Güllü concluded his words as follows:
"A pencil, an eraser or a paint may be a 'small purchase', but there is no small risk for the child's health. Our call is clear before the new academic year: parents should shop consciously, businesses should comply with the rules, public institutions should increase inspections. The health of our children, the budget of families and the rights of the consumer should not be placed behind any commercial concerns."
