8 One Stop Shops for Back to School Supply Runs

It’s September which means just a  few things: it’s almost fall, it’s eventually going to get cold, and you’ll need to help the kids go back to school. Or worse, you may be the kid going back to school yourself. Let’s save you a lot of trouble and point you to eight stationary shops that will help you conquer that curriculum...

SAMIR & ALY

One of the most dependable stationery shops in the country, Samir & Aly is a nationwide no-brainer when it comes to back-to-school shopping with branches spanning across Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada and Ismailia.

ALWAN

True to its name, Alwan is an art student’s or playschooler’s heaven. From all shades of graphite to the non-bleeding markers of your dreams to unmissable pastel highlighters you can flaunt at Starbucks, Alwan’s wide selection of supplies is unmissable.

BAKIER

Founded in 1991, Bakier is the rich golf-club grandfather of stationery shops. It offers both an opulent array of high-end stationery supplies as well as everything your kid can dream of in a pencil case.

CAMERA 9

This Giza gem is less of a stationery store, and more of a community centre - Camera 9’s primary objective seems to be interacting with and catering to the society it serves, cementing it as a stationery go-to when you need pens and a (strictly metaphorical) hug.

BERNASOS

An engineer’s best friend, Bernasos is known for having a wide range of high-quality stationery to console the surely hardworking students of As’ab Koleya Fi Masr™. An age-old fan-favourite, the shop is scattered throughout the entire country, with multiple branches all over Cairo, Alexandria, Asyout, Damietta, Luxor, Sharm El Sheikh and even Borg El Arab.

EL MAAYERGY

Trusted by moms everywhere (remember their Tag Your Kid Stamp that saved us all about seven lost jackets?), this shop is here to save you from the forever-lost acres of supply lists. With nearly 40 years of penmanship experience, El Maayergy rushes to the rescue of the modern mom with a video series explaining all you need to know about back-to-school shopping.

XHBT-SHOP

Supply shopping for kids is hard enough - but teenagers are a whole other story. A few days ago they were picking cartoon-themed name tags but suddenly they’re 15 and they only care about how edgy the music they share to their Instagram seems. Since the only way to remind them of their education is to offer something equally shiny, XHBT’s adorable selection of planners, notebooks, and to-do lists (sometimes with celebrity features) are the only way to get your kids’ Instagrams- uhh, goals back on track.

KAMAL SAAD

On your next trip to Alexandria, after strolling through the historic streets of Mahatet El Raml, we suggest you take a detour to Kamal Saad, an area in Alexandria’s Mansheya entirely dedicated to stationery. The series of stores has everything from office supplies to cute Kawaii stationery to vintage washi tape sets -all within a few minutes’ walk.