{"id":41689,"date":"2022-11-25T17:01:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T17:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sheffieldwire.co.uk\/?p=41689"},"modified":"2022-11-25T17:01:28","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T17:01:28","slug":"how-one-student-navigated-the-myriad-cost-of-stationery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sheffieldwire.co.uk\/index.php\/2022\/11\/25\/how-one-student-navigated-the-myriad-cost-of-stationery\/","title":{"rendered":"How one student navigated the myriad cost of stationery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jack Trethewey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I meander my way towards the end of term, the harrowing thought of January exams, and of course my old nemesis\u2026 revision is looming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To prepare, I like to keep myself armed with an array of revision cards, notepads, highlighters, pens and pencils. In previous years, I\u2019ve assigned the sum total of a tenner to this and have usually walked out of the stationery shop with enough change for at least one apple-sourz shot from the Student Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year has been different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my usual pre-assessment panic, I rushed to my nearest WH Smith and picked out four simple necessities for any student; a reporter\u2019s notepad, some flashcards, a highlighter and a pot of chewing gum \u2013 crucial items to see me through my upcoming exams. I expected this to cost me my usual tenner, but I did plan for slightly less change this time, as a nod to the financial stress arising from the insane events that defined 2022. Events including the Ukraine war, the departure of two disgraced UK prime ministers, the cost-of-living crisis and eye-watering inflation levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Picture courtesy of 360 Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When I went to the checkout, the bill flashed up on the till and my mouth dropped. For a pot of gum, a pen and some glorified paper, WH Smith felt it appropriate to charge me \u00a317. I would expect to fork out \u00a317 on a gourmet steak meal, or a hungover Deliveroo kebab, or possibly half a week\u2019s shopping. Perhaps there\u2019s something I\u2019m missing. Maybe I didn\u2019t read the fine print. Are these flashcards lined with gold? Does the highlighter write my essays for me? Could it be I bought Willy Wonka\u2019s three-course dinner gum by mistake?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheffield Wire conducted a Twitter poll, and 36 participants told us much they would be willing to pay for the four items I felt I had been robbed for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the graph shows, a vast majority of people are not willing to pay more than \u00a310 for a highlighter, some flashcards, a pack of gum and a notepad demonstrating just how out-of-touch WH Smith is with people’s expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re probably now thinking: \u201cGet a grip Jack. Stationery\u2019s expensive now, like everything else. So what?\u201d Usually, I would agree with you, take the financial hit on the chin and get on with my life. But there is one small problem that sticks in my mind, something that troubles me. Inflation, as of 25 November, is currently a smidge over 11%, the highest rate since October 1981. Any person with a basic aptitude for maths will realise this doesn\u2019t match the eye-watering stationery prices of WH Smith compared with previous years and other competing stores. So, the question that remains is simply, what\u2019s going on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With such a disconnect between WH Smith’s prices the public’s expectations, students around the University of Sheffield’s campus were asked where they actually bought their stationery from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n