The marketing manager of the largest bookstore chain in Lithuania, Tautgirdas Budrys, notes that one of the most prominent trends this year is personalization. Children no longer want to have the same backpack or pencil case as everyone else, so they choose items they can customize for themselves.
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The backpack becomes a means of self-expression
“At school, where many things are standardized, the backpack remains one of the few forms of self-expression for a child,” notes T. Budrys.
Therefore, backpacks that can be decorated are becoming more popular. Badges, keychains, name tags, or small soft toys are attached to them. In this way, even a simple solid-color model can become unique.
According to the speaker, a keychain on a backpack today serves a similar function to what stickers on notebook covers did for the previous generation. It is a small detail, but it helps the child show what they like.
Personalization can also help save money. If last year’s backpack is still comfortable and not torn, it can be updated with new accessories. This way, the same item changes, although there is no need to buy a new backpack.
Little ones’ favorites – recognizable characters
For primary school children, the backpack is still an extension of their favorite game and story world. This year, among the most prominent favorites are Japanese “Sanrio” characters: “Hello Kitty,” Kuromi, and Pochacco. Stitch, Spider-Man, and “Monster High” characters remain popular.
Boys’ models more often feature football club symbols, computer games, racing, or space motifs. Girls are offered more animals, flowers, and pastel colors – soft pink, lilac, or mint.
Manufacturers are increasingly creating not individual products but entire collections with a uniform design. Having chosen a backpack of a certain character, a child may also want a matching pencil case, sports bag, water bottle, or lunch box.
“For the child, this becomes a kind of uniform they are proud of, and for parents, such a purchase is convenient; moreover, the child more easily recognizes items with the same design as their own and less often loses or confuses them with classmates’,” says T. Budrys.
Teenagers want a “mobile office”
Around fifth or sixth grade, children’s tastes begin to change distinctly. What recently seemed cute can suddenly be called childish.
Teenagers choose backpacks similarly to how adults choose a handbag or jacket. It must match their outfit, be suitable for school, training, and leisure. Therefore, among older students, solid, minimalist models are popular: black, gray, dark green, or sand colors.
Bright drawings are replaced by a discreet brand logo or a small detail. However, minimalism does not mean that teenagers give up functionality.
“Their requirements for functionality are probably the strictest of all age groups, so the backpack must have a padded compartment for a laptop or tablet, a separate pocket for a phone and headphones, a side pocket for a water bottle, and models with an integrated USB port, allowing the phone to be charged from an external battery inside the backpack, are also becoming popular. Essentially, a teenager’s backpack must function as a mobile office,” explains T. Budrys.
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Social networks influence book choices
Before the start of the school year, clear age group trends are also visible on the bookshelves. Among children aged 5–9, fiction, picture books, sticker books, and various educational publications remain the most popular.
For future first graders, activity books that help recognize letters and numbers, develop attention, and fine motor skills are suitable.
T. Budrys reminds that sticking stickers is not just fun – this activity develops hand movements and prepares it for writing. And stories about a character who is also anxious about school allow the child to safely familiarize themselves with upcoming experiences.
On teenagers’ shelves, fantasy and science fiction reign. Young people often come to the bookstore already knowing a specific title they saw on TikTok, Instagram, or other social networks.
The popularity of comics and graphic novels is also growing. These publications often become a bridge to reading for children who are not interested in a regular novel. After reading a comic, a young person often dares to try other types of books.
First – a home review
Although the beginning of September often creates the impression that all supplies must be new, T. Budrys advises first checking what you have at home.
Last year’s backpack may still be suitable, the pencil case may contain working pens, and there may be unused notebooks in the drawer. After such a review, the list of necessary purchases often shortens significantly.
It is recommended to save where the quality difference is not essential, but not where a low-quality item will be felt daily. It is worth paying more attention to the backpack, frequently used pen, or other longer-lasting supplies.
It is useful to involve the child in shopping. An agreed budget, which the student allocates to different supplies themselves, can become a practical financial literacy lesson. Then it becomes clear that choosing a more expensive trendy pencil case may mean giving up a more luxurious water bottle or another purchase.
Thus, preparing for school becomes not just expenses and a list of necessary items. It is an opportunity for the child to learn to choose, balance desires with needs, and create a school set that truly reflects their personality.
You can prepare for school and visit the backpack fair at the “Vilnius Outlet” central square, V. Pociūno St. 8, near the capital’s Western bypass. The fair will run until September 6.
