Even as hikes in fees for tuition, bus and stationery of schoolchildren return to haunt parents every few months, there is a small glimmer of relief this year, as children head back to their classes after the summer break: The prices of school bags across cities appear to have remained largely unchanged. One reason for this could be the competition local shops are facing from ecommerce platforms, which offer a wide price range and a variety of products. A dipstick survey in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore shows that while prices have remained unchanged in Delhi and Bangalore, they have risen only by a small margin in Mumbai.
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(This story appears in the 11 July, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)