Great offers on range

IT seems every year that ‘back to school’ (B2S) shopping drops a financial bombshell on parents with a budget but have to pay full price for essential items just before that first bell rings.

The best way to avoid the potential credit card carnage is by picking up regular items throughout the year, especially when there are clearance sales.

However, if you are once again scrambling for last minute things on your list be sure to try the value brand stores like Max and RedTag because they are known for having seasonal school items at great prices.

Hypermarkets such as Lulu, Geant, Macromart and MegaMart will also be holding sales on food items, school supplies and B2S clothing and you could find everything you need in one go.

Uniform is a major necessity for returning to school and thanks to all the healthy vegetables they’ve been eating over the holidays my sons have enjoyed a proper growth spurt. Therefore, new after-school and weekend wear were also essential items on the shopping list and a trip around the shops at Seef Mall with my 11-year-old, Aiden, below, had to come before a rewarding session at the cinema.

M&Co has a great part sale right now. This UK fashion retailer has been selling quality clothing for more than 50 years. With 300 stores nationwide they must be doing something right. I had never been inside this store in Bahrain before and I was very impressed.

It offers something for the whole family and, with its current sale, I found it very reasonable.

The boys aged three-to-13 section had collections to choose from such as ‘team icon’ and ‘cool blue’. My favourite was the ‘animal instincts’ range which portrays a casual, carefree tropical feel with colourful, bold and fun prints.

I found a boys cotton, navy and beige tropical button-down shirt for BD8, down from BD11. If you pair it with a ‘genius monkey’ T-shirt and  muted navy cotton trousers for only BD9, then the boys’ cool factor would be raised by 100 per cent.

I found Aiden admiring a blue New York inspired printed T-shirt and a white and navy tee with the word ‘awesome’ printed all over it. I think he should wear it just to remind everyone how modest he is, however, ‘everything is awesome’ according to Lego movie fans and you can actually find those licensed tees as well for only BD8.500.

The ‘heritage collection’ which was launched for autumn has bold stripes, cords and patchwork denim all perfect for outdoor adventures.

The girls section seemed bigger to me and was clearing its summer stuff for 50 per cent off. Adorable collections like ‘tropadellica’ and ‘wild outdoors’ that have cute butterfly leggings selling for only BD4.500 and pretty pastel dresses down to BD11.

The autumn collection ‘forest fable’ has a whimsical feel with a spellbinding range of autumn colours, pretty details, colourful creatures and pretty prints. Prices vary but are very reasonable.
 
F&F is no stranger to a sale and, until stock lasts, it is reducing prices. This store is also a one-stop shop for the whole family but, in my opinion, on occasions it can be confusing to shop there. I find it hard to sort between the new stock and the old because the layout is quite tight and the baby section runs quickly into the men’s department. There are too many signs posted in dizzying colours and I find myself always bumping into other customers.

The pricing is fantastic though and there is always a trendy choice, however, they just need to remove a few racks and separate the sections better … or find a larger location!