Back to school in UAE: With over 500 customers a day, uniform shops brace for heavy rush

Khaleej Times

3 days ago

Some uniform shops in the UAE are seeing an average of more than 500 customers a day as parents prepare for the back-to-school season. Most of the shops are expecting the crowds to multiply towards the end of the month.
'We have an average of around 500 customers, if not more, coming in every day,' said a spokesperson for LCT uniforms in Karama. 'One batch of our stocks is almost over, and we have just placed a new order. Last weekend was extremely busy, and we are expecting the crowds to multiply over the next week, closer to school reopening.
UAE schools will reopen on Monday, August 25, after almost two months of summer break. Last week, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced a new structure for the academic calendar starting from 2025–2026, setting unified dates for the start of the academic year, end of the three terms and end of term breaks for all public and private schools nationwide.
The spokesperson added that, contrary to previous years, there had been a steady stream of parents visiting the store throughout the summer. 'Usually our rush begins after the middle of August,' he said. 'However, this year, we had a steady stream of parents throughout the two months of summer. Some came as early as the second week of July because they wanted to finish off uniform shopping before they travelled for the break.'
'Waited for more than 20 minutes'
Abu Dhabi resident Aalim Nadheer visited a uniform store earlier this week and waited more than 20 minutes to be served. 'The store has a policy that we have to book appointments online before going there,' he said. 'I didn't know this, but because the store was not very crowded, they gave me a token number and buzzer. We walked around the mall, and in less than 30 minutes, the buzzer rang.'
He added that he considered himself lucky to be served so quickly. 'The staff said that if I had waited for a few more days, the rush would have multiplied as many parents come back by the middle of August,' he said. 'I know of people who waited hours last year. I didn't want to risk that, so I decided to get my shopping done early.'
Hundreds of people
At the Bimbino uniform store, which has outlets in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Ain and Fujairah, the crowds have been steady. 'At our outlet in Sharjah, we are seeing hundreds of customers every day,' said a telephone operator. 'We have the uniforms of almost all schools, so a lot of parents prefer to come to us. Last weekend, we had a lot of rush as many parents are now returning after their vacations.'
She added that the store was expecting more crowds and possible long queues on weekdays and weekends over the next two weeks. 'As the dates for school reopening draw closer, we are expecting the number of parents coming to us to multiply,' she said. 'That is what we have seen every year.'