25. 08. 11. - 16:01

Huge school things price gaps disclosed

Consumer rights experts have discovered significant price gaps of writing utensils and rucksacks as kids across Austria get ready to go back to school.

The Labour Chamber (AK) announced today (Weds) it found that a kit of 21 products first-formers needed cost between 130 Euros and 339 Euros in Vienna. The chamber explained prices were strongly influenced by factors such as the products’ quality and the question whether they were produced under environmentally-friendly circumstances.

AK advised parents to compare prices and consider products of high quality as many cheap items need to be replaced earlier. However, the organisation also pointed out that branded articles not always kept what they promised. The chamber appealed to young families to seek advice by shop staff considering their choices of pens, schoolbags and other things needed when their youngsters start school next month.

Integral said last week parents of first-graders were bracing to spend 400 Euros on average on the various goods needed for school. The public opinion group stressed that a substantial amount would be spent on indirect expenses like car petrol to go to the shops. Integral research also suggested that parents of schoolchildren in capital Vienna, which is situated in the north-east of the country, may spend 35 per cent more than their counterparts in the west. It is unclear whether this development was down to price gaps or differences considering their interest in more expensive products.

News that items needed by first-formers could leave parents with a bill of over 300 Euros comes just days after statisticians confirmed life keeps getting more costly in Austria. Federal statistics agency Statistik Austria said domestic inflation rose by 3.5 per cent in July, while Eurostat even registered an increase of 3.8 per cent. The latter organisation – which carries out research for the European Commission (EC) – takes other aspects into account than Statistik Austria.

The agencies’ findings mean that the overall price of products and services on offer in the alpine country soared by 3.5 per cent or 3.8 per cent respectively. However, AK pointed out it found that some of the most popular supermarket products of daily life cost up to 69 per cent more at the moment than in summer 2010. Especially flour, butter, coffee, dairy products and bread became more expensive, according to AK.

The chamber called on the government coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the People’s Party (ÖVP) to examine whether stores had good reasons to charge Austrian customers more than people living in neighbouring Germany. The Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) warned Austrians "will have to get used to rising prices." The Viennese think tank expected a continuation of raw material price hikes to create further consumer price increases.