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Some parents in UAE face limited uniform pickup slots as back-to-school demand builds
Traders said demand for alterations, shoe repairs, haircuts, and last-minute supplies is expected to rise over the weekend
- PUBLISHED: Sat 18 Apr 2026, 3:07 PM UPDATED: Sat 18 Apr 2026, 10:55 PM
Pickup queues grew at some UAE school uniform outlets on Saturday evening as parents prepared for Monday's return to in-person classes, with some reporting waiting time of around 25 minutes at busy stores in Dubai's Karama.
While some parents faced limited or no pickup slots for April 18 and 19 for certain school uniforms, traders said demand for alterations, shoe repairs, haircuts and last-minute supplies is expected to remain strong.
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“I stood in the line for nearly 25 minutes to collect the uniforms. When I reached around 3.30pm it was already busy, and by the evening the crowd had grown even more,” said Faris K, a parent who had been to get uniforms for his son at LCT in Karama.
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The early demand for uniform collection comes even as a major rush for books and stationery has not yet started, while barbers, shoemakers, and tailors said they expect business to pick up on Saturday evening ahead of reopening of schools in the UAE.
At the Threads outlet in BurJuman Mall, uniform of Cambridge International School Dubai, no pickup slots were visible for April 18 on their website, while GEMS Millennium School Sharjah showed only limited late-evening availability on April 18 and April 19. Some other branches continued to show open slots, suggesting demand remains uneven but is starting slowly.
In Sharjah’s Rolla, bookstore traders said the biggest rush may still be ahead. “There has not been a major rush so far during the day, but we expect things to pick up sharply by Saturday evening and on Sunday,” said Abdul Fattah, a manager at a stationary store in Rolla.
“Many parents tend to come at the last minute for notebooks, stationery and other school items once they finalise what their children need,” said Abdul Fattah.
Besides books and supplies, businesses linked to back-to-school preparations said they were already seeing activity.
Tailors in Rolla said some parents were bringing uniforms purchased from school-linked stores for minor alterations, including adjusting trouser length and sleeves.
“Some parents bring in uniforms after collecting them to make small adjustments, like shortening trousers or fixing sleeve length. We usually see more of this before schools reopen, and this weekend is expected to be busier,” said Naseem Ahmed, a tailor in Rolla, Sharjah.
Shoemakers said that some parents were also choosing to repair old school shoes instead of buying new ones.
“We are getting parents bringing school shoes for polishing, sole repair and small fixes. Some prefer repairing because the shoes are still usable, and children may have outgrown them only slightly,” said Mujeeb, a shoemaker in Rolla. “Usually this gets busier just before schools reopen, and we expect more customers over the next two days.”
Barbers in Al Nahda, Sharjah, also said they were preparing for a rise in student haircuts.
“The big rush has not started yet, but we normally get many students over the weekend before the first day back. Parents prefer bringing children in for haircuts at the last moment, so we are expecting Sunday to be quite busy,” said a barber in Al Nahda.
Traders said the back-to-school rush appears to be building in stages, starting with uniform collection and then moving to alterations, shoe repairs, haircuts and last-minute shopping for supplies.
While some parents were still trying to secure uniform pickup slots, others were spreading out their preparations, with many shopkeepers expecting demand to pick up further over the next 24 to 48 hours as schools reopen.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.