In the second semester, there was deflation on many products; brushes that cost 4000 pesos are now worth 1800, explained the owner of the bookstore Tesis, attributing this phenomenon to strong competition and adjustments in wholesale market expectations. Daniel Iglesias López, a representative of the Chamber of Bookstores and Stationery of Argentina (CAPLA). "A black pencil costs 300 pesos; for me to have a coffee, I would have to sell you 40 black pencils," stated Iglesias López on Splendid AM 990, highlighting that a product that can last for months in a student's pencil case today is equivalent to a minimal fraction of a snack. The analysis of the current economic situation revealed data that directly impacts family budgets, with inflation in the bookstore sector running far below the general index. Buenos Aires, January 31 (NA) -- The proximity of the start of the school year has highlighted a deep distortion in the prices of the school supply basket, where traders in the sector warn that the prices of stationery items did not keep up with the pace of other economic sectors. In a stark comparison regarding the sector's competitiveness, Daniel Iglesias López, a representative of the Chamber of Bookstores and Stationery of Argentina (CAPLA), maintained that while service and maintenance costs are soaring, school supplies have been left behind, offering options that today are minuscule compared to other basic consumptions. Photo: Agencia NA/Redes. According to what the Argentine News Agency could find out, this trend, although it is "very good news" for the consumer, represents a sustainability challenge for traditional trade, which must absorb salary and tariff increases with stagnant or falling sales prices. Beyond the price situation, the article explores the causes behind a shrinking market, mentioning the technological boom and the decline in birth rates as determining factors. "New technologies cause other products to really stop selling; less is printed, less paper is sold," indicated the interviewee, who also cited projections of a reduction of more than a million students by the year 2030. Faced with this panorama, the bookseller championed the importance of in-person purchasing and professional advice: "If you want to make an optimal purchase, you can spend very little money; the advice is to come with time to be able to choose and compare".
