Top 7 Best Places to Buy School Supplies 2017 Just a few more days to go and it will be backtoschool season again. Don’t get caught up in the mad rush to buy school supplies. Read on as ShoppersGuide readers dish on where they stock up on school essentials for the new academic year ahead. 7. Gooodwill Bookstore
School supplies sold alongside books at Goodwill Bookstore (Image: Goodwill Bookstore) Starting off our countdown is Goodwill Bookstore. With their tag line of “Good books, good service, Goodwill,” Goodwill Bookstore has been in existence for 79 years. The business was started in 1938 when the Cancio couple started selling secondhand books along Rizal Ave. They sell text books for elementary, high school, and college covering topics like medical sciences, arts and sciences, business, and engineering and architecture.
They also sell school supplies on the second floor of the bookstore. In keeping up with the times, they offer delivery for bulk orders. They even have a radio show at Radyo Inquirer called “Everyday Goodwill.”
6. Baclaran
Baclaran: the budget-conscious shoppers’ haven (Image: Anthony Allen) With its array of school merchandise, the flea markets of Baclaran are a bargain hunter’s haven for residents of southern Manila. The place is named after baklad, a tool used by fishermen to coral fish for selling. Buying in bulk, or in sets of three or six at Baclaran, lets shoppers save as much as 30% compared to retail rates. Here, one can find polo shirts, shorts, pants, and skirts for boys and girls in a variety of sizes for less than PhP100. Schoolbag staples like notebooks, pencils, ball pens, erasers, and pad paper are also sold at affordable prices.
5. 168 Mall
Voter’s comment:
“They have everything from school supplies, to uniforms, to shoes, bags, etc.” – Bea Santos
A bundle of school supplies at 168 Mall (Image: Elizabeth Co Li) Landing in the fifth spot is 168 Mall, dubbed the “wholesale capital of the Philippines.” The shopping center derives its name from the Chinese translation of the numbers which means “road to success.” The 25,000 sq.m. space houses over a thousand stalls, a food court, a bank and ATMs, game arcade, lottery outlet, and courier service. Aside from shoes and school supplies, 168 Mall carries items for infants and children, apparel and accessories for men and women, and gifts and decor. Here, shoppers can save as much as 50% off if they buy in bulk. Read: Going Underground: Event Souvenir Finds Inside 168 Shopping Mall
4. Office Warehouse
Ample display of school supplies at Office Warehouse store (IMage: Office Warehouse, Inc.) Targeting small offices/home offices (SOHOs) and small and medium businesses (SMBs), Office Warehouse sells office and school supplies, technology items, and furniture. They carry items that are not typically found in your regular bookstore like bundy clocks, fingerprint scanners, copiers, and shredders. Office Warehouse was acquired in 2014 by FilipinoChinese businessman Lucio Co in a bid to enter the nonfood specialty retail sector. Aside from brickandmortar stores, they also offer doortodoor delivery, store pickup, and online shopping services. For loyal patrons, they have a Points Plus membership card which lets customers earn points every time they shop.
3. Fully Booked
Voter’s comment: “They have a wide selection of cute journals and school stuff that you can't see in other shops.” – Dee
Artfully arranged books at Fully Booked (Image: Fully Booked) On the third spot is Fully Booked, a bookstoreturnedlifestyle destination known for its wellcurated range of books. To date, they have over 100,000 titles in their inventory. Here, one can also find novelty notebooks, quality stationery, and arts and crafts materials. Their prices may not be as affordable as that of other shops, but their cute and kitschy school and office supplies make work or studying more fun. To get discounts off their purchases, customers can sign up for a Fully Booked discount card or Fully BookedRCBC Bankard MasterCard. Read: Your Bookshelf: Best Summer Reads to Take with You This Summer
2. National Book Store
National Bookstore: a one-stop shop for school and office supplies (Image: Writer) Making an appearance one spot shy from the top is National Book Store. While it may have over 150 branches today, National started out as a small school supplies and textbook stall in Escolta. Founder Socorro Ramos or Nanay Coring got its name from a brand of cash register. At National, one can find writing supplies, paper supplies, filing supplies, and other school and office essentials. For the budgetconscious, they have budget bundles which lets you have a set of school supplies for less than PhP200. They also offer cashon delivery services online which match retail store prices. For their loyalty program, they have the Laking National card which lets shoppers earn points when they purchase from the store.
1. Divisoria
Find the cheapest school supplies at Divisoria (Image: Joseph Razon) Those who like getting the most bang for their buck have voted Divisoria as their number one backtoschool shopping destination. Located at the heart of Manila, the so called shopping Mecca of the Philippines spans the triangle of Claro M. Recto Ave., Reina Regente St., and Juan Luna St. Shoppers favor Divisoria because of their rock bottom prices: PhP8 to 10 each for 80leaf notebooks, PhP75 to PhP180 per piece for uniforms, and PhP120 to PhP30 for shoes. Whether buying from street vendors or in one of the malls in the area, a thousand pesos can go a long way here. Read: 10 Cool White Sneakers for Every Type of Millennial Sneakerhead Did your favorite backtoschool shopping haunt make it? Let us know in the comments section below! Results are based on the Top 10 Best Places to Buy School Supplies 2017 survey posted at the home page of ShoppersGuide.com.ph from May 15 to 21, 2017.