Notebooks as high as 20 Hoverlas: how the school supply kit has changed and what people are buying at Epicentr in 2026

August 2026 traditionally marked the start of preparations for the new school year, however, modern realities have turned this process into a large-scale event that goes far beyond buying notebooks and pens. The Epicentr hypermarket chain has launched a massive "School Fair," which will last until the end of the month. The campaign, under the slogan "Learn, Dream, Achieve!", offers buyers discounts of up to 50% on a wide range of goods necessary for studying, creativity, and a child's comfort.

From pencils to computers: the transformation of the school basket

The modern "school basket" has undergone radical changes. If the shopping list used to be limited to stationery and uniforms, today parents strive to create a full-fledged educational space for their children. Receipts now include not only pencil cases and backpacks, but also laptops for online classes, specialized lamps to preserve eyesight, ergonomic desks and chairs, as well as sports equipment. Epicentr positions itself as a place where you can assemble this entire complex kit in one location, saving time and money.

Emotions and collections: the main trends of 2026

Ludmila Zanarevskaya, Head of the Stationery Department at Epicentr, notes that only 25% of the assortment remains unchanged. The remaining 75% are dynamic items that are updated annually. The main drivers of sales have become "emotion" and "collecting." Buyers are happy to choose products with unusual designs: pens with ears, glue in the shape of a capybara, or pencil cases with favorite characters. "Right now, we all need positive emotions, and emotional stationery is exactly the product that can delight for a small price," the expert comments. In addition, thematic sets where all products are executed in a single style are popular.

Scale of demand and Ukrainian production

The stationery assortment in the chain includes about 37,000 products from 600 brands. At the same time, the share of Ukrainian manufacturers accounts for a substantial 45%. The scale of demand is illustrated by data from the previous season: if all sold notebooks were stacked, their height would equal the height of 20 Hoverla mountain peaks. The chain independently develops about seven exclusive collections for the Nota Bene brand, focusing on the preferences of both younger schoolchildren and teenagers.

Intelligent stationery

Traditional products are also evolving. Ordinary plasticine is giving way to air-dry clay, and paper diaries are losing popularity due to the digitization of schools. A new hit has become thematic notebooks that combine the function of note-taking with educational material. On the pages of such notebooks, released under the Nota Bene brand, you can find geometry formulas or a table of chemical elements. Experts predict that demand for such educational products will remain high.