Nearly half (45%) of parents spend more than 6,000 hryvnias on back-to-school preparations, with the bulk of the expenses going toward clothing and shoes. This is according to the results of a Rakuten Viber survey.
“45% of Ukrainian parents spend more than 6,000 hryvnias on preparing their child for school. One in five respondents (18%) spends 3,000–6,000 hryvnias, while 10% say they don’t buy anything—they already have everything they need from last year,” according to a Rakuten Viber statement received by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
Rakuten Viber asked parents how much they spend on preparing their child for school and what takes up the largest portion of their budget.
Responses to the question “How much are you spending on getting your child ready for school this year?” were distributed as follows: Over 6,000 hryvnias – 45%; 3,000–6,000 hryvnias – 18%; 1,000–3,000 hryvnias – 14%; Did not buy anything—we have everything we need from last year—10%; Up to 1,000 UAH—8%; Did not buy anything—everything was given as gifts by relatives or purchased by the school—5%.
Here’s how school expenses were broken down: 58% of respondents spend the most on clothing and footwear: school uniforms, gym clothes, and seasonal items. Another 11% noted that school supplies—from notebooks to backpacks—were their biggest expense.
When asked, “What took up the largest portion of the budget while preparing for school?” the responses were distributed as follows: Clothing and shoes (school uniforms, athletic wear, seasonal items) – 58%; School supplies (from notebooks to backpacks) – 11%; Educational gadgets (laptop, tablet, smartphone, power bank) – 8%; Textbooks and other reading materials – 3%; Setting up a home workspace (desk, chair, desk lamp) – 3%; Expenses were roughly equal across all categories – 17%.
About 10,000 users participated in the survey conducted on Rakuten Viber Ukraine’s official channel. The research methodology consisted of an anonymous online survey. The key age group was 34–45 years old, with over 50% of respondents under the age of 45.
In July 2026, prices for clothing and footwear in Ukraine fell by 4.8% compared to June and by 5.6% compared to July of last year, according to data from the State Statistics Service. Clothing prices fell by 5.8% over the month and by 5.4% year-over-year. Footwear prices fell by 3.5% and 6.1%, respectively.
Compared to December 2025, the entire “clothing and footwear” category fell in price by 4.5%, including clothing by 6.5% and footwear by 2%.
In January–July 2026, prices for clothing and footwear were, on average, 5.5% lower than during the same period in 2025. At the same time, the overall consumer price index rose by 7.8% over these two periods.
Clothing and footwear thus remain one of the largest categories in the consumer basket where the State Statistics Service has recorded price declines amid overall inflation.
CLOTHING, footwear, INFLATION, PRICE, State Statistics Service
The Polish clothing and home goods retailer Pepco has announced plans to open more than 600 stores by 2030, as well as to open stores in Ukraine.
“The acceleration in retail growth we are seeing in Western Europe is driving us to expand our ambitions in this region, and we currently plan to open at least 600 new stores over the next four years—from fiscal year 2027 to 2030—which will double our presence in the region. We are also launching a carefully managed pilot project in selected regions of Ukraine, a market where Pepco already has strong brand recognition and which, over time, represents a potentially significant new growth opportunity for the group,” CEO Stefan Borchert is quoted as saying in the press release.
As previously reported, the consulting firm Retail&Development Advisor (RDA), as Pepco’s official exclusive representative in Ukraine, is engaged in identifying the best locations for the international retailer. The plan is to open 5–10 locations by the end of 2026.
According to published results, the group’s revenue for the first half of fiscal year 2026 amounted to €2.5 billion, which is 5.0% more than in the same period of the previous year. The group’s underlying EBITDA grew by 17.5% to €516 million.
Pepco is a Polish chain of clothing and household goods stores headquartered in Poznań. It has been operating since 1999 and has over 4,000 stores in 18 countries. The brand is part of the Pepco Group. The Pepco Group is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (PCO).
More than 300 domestic manufacturers have already registered on the first marketplace of Ukrainian clothing and footwear brands shopping.ua, co-founder of the shopping.ua platform Serhiy Azarenka told Interfax-Ukraine.
“The war had a great impact on representatives of the clothing industry in Ukraine. We constantly analyze the market, we see how difficult it is for Ukrainian manufacturers today. Our platform was created for true connoisseurs of made in Ukraine,” Azarenka said.
According to him, the portal was launched during the war, in April 2022. It was the war that prompted people to give people the opportunity to buy Ukrainian in different regions, the expert explains.
He clarified that in total before the war, 1,600 sewing enterprises operated in Ukraine, a significant part of which is located in the north-eastern region of the country: in Sumy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions. These regions were the first to be hit by the enemy.
“The producers of Kharkiv, the most affected by constant shelling and power outages, are already gradually recovering,” Azarenka said.
Overall, he estimates that approximately 60% of companies in the industry have either closed or are operating with interruptions. The reason is not only in the destruction, but also in the absence of orders, the expert notes.
“The marketplace will allow Ukrainians to support a Ukrainian manufacturer, which will have a positive impact on the economy of Ukraine as a whole,” Azarenka is convinced.
Currently, the marketplace offers author’s collections of famous designers, promotional offers from brands such as CAT ORANGE, Jadone Fashion, Tuto Vzuto, Egostyle, MAN’s SET, Amulet, Sofia Shelest, Aura Shoes, etc.
Any domestic clothing and footwear manufacturer can join the platform. To connect, it is enough to provide an extract from the unified state register of taxpayers. Registration and placement of goods on the marketplace are free.
Shoes and clothing are the most popular online purchases for Ukrainians, with 70% of Internet users ready to make such purchases. That’s compared to only 24% who are willing to buy food online, according to results of a survey conducted by GfK Ukraine released on Monday. “Interestingly, for the food category, 13% of respondents say they would like to buy this category, but do not have this opportunity. Most likely, the reason is the insufficient convenience of the ordering and delivery of goods in this category, as well as the insufficient number of sites for such purchases,” GfK’s press release said. Only 6% said the same applies to buying shoes and clothing online.
Electronics and home appliances are also popular online purchases, with more than half of Internet users are ready to purchase them online. They are followed by cosmetics – about 38%, toys and children’s products – more than 25%. The study indicates the inability to buy goods in these categories is lower than in the case of clothing and shoes and food.
According to GfK Ukraine, 66% of the population of Ukraine used the Internet in 2018 (61% in 2017), of which 34% make online purchases.
