SEVERAL school uniform stores are still packed with last-minute buyers after schools reopened on Wednesday, 17 January.
Gauteng's largest suppliers like Mary's Outfitters in the Pretoria CBD, which serves more than 300 schools, had thousands of clients on its first and second floors a day before schooling resumed on Tuesday, 16 January, with more people waiting outside.
Bapela Sithole (45) from Bronkhorspruit, Tshwane, waited five hours at the store to make her first purchase.
She said she wasn't happy with the heat and advised that the store should consider offering online purchasing or enabling people to buy online and simply come in for exchanges and refund.
"To cope with the heat, the retailer should look into different methods of selling school uniforms," said Bapela.
In December, parents didn't prioritise important things such as school uniforms and stationery.
Dikeledi Tlou, who usually buys school uniform in the first week of December, waited from 11am due to financial difficulties and her recent husband's death.
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She believes that December has a negative impact on society since parents sometimes choose last-minute shopping over their children's needs.
"Late applications and unplaced children both add to this problem. Some parents struggled to purchase uniforms in time because they are unsure about their children's school placement," she said.
A security guard at Casco Store, Sello Bapela, who's been working there since 1988, said from the holiday season to the end of January, the store at Andries Street and Vermeulen expects about 50 000 customers every day.
According to Bapela, consumers can be arrogant and uncooperative, and stealing is the most common problem.
"Our experience allows us to discover and deal with thieves promptly, and other disruptive and problematic customers refuse to stand in lines and are denied entry unless they cooperate," he said.
Store manager Salmaan Dickrat said there has been a significant 50% decrease in the fluctuation of last-minute customers, which he believes is due to better management by the Department of Education in school placements and schools resuming mid-month.
"Long queues began to form as early as 16 December, while this year, they only began last weekend. There weren't many consumers coming in during rush hour," he said.
