Back to School: Whangārei's booming second-hand uniform marketplace

More and more families in Whangārei now rely on second-hand marketplace for school uniforms as retail prices become expensive. Photo / Michael Cunningham

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Thousands of Northland students are back to school as the holidays come to an end. The Northern Advocate is running three stories on the return as part of our back to school package. Here is our third and final story in the series.

It's back to school time and many Northland families are struggling with the costs of the new school year - but some are trying to help ease the financial burden.

A Whangārei mum of six suggests this is the most expensive time of the year, "you think Christmas is bad, the start of the school is worse".

As students go back to school, families are not only worried about the spreading Omicron variant but are also stressed about the affordability of school requirements, especially uniforms.

This concern has given birth to a mega second-hand buying marketplace on Facebook and Whangārei 2nd Hand School Uniform Sales page admin and mum-of-two Jodie Hannam says the page has seen a 6 per cent growth in the last month.

Facebook uniform sell/swap page creator Jodie Hannam. The page had 932 active members and 78 new members were added in the last month. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The group has more than 13 000 members and in the last month, the activity of the page shows 932 active members and 78 new members.

"It shows people are looking for stuff."

Hannam started the group four years ago when her son started Year 13, "who grew like a foot in two years" and she had to get three sets of uniforms in those two years.

She said this was their growing age and uniforms were very expensive.

"You are looking at $300-400 for a uniform.

"Some of the schools are really very strict about their uniforms.

"I kept seeing people trying to sell second-hand uniforms on various different Whangārei buy and sell pages and that is why I started this group."

She said she had received 10 applications to join daily for the last few days.

Hannam said uniforms were a really good idea but wished there was a more affordable way to do it.

"And that is just the uniform, then you have to buy shoes, devices, stationery, etc.

"It is about making uniforms more affordable. It also means I am selling the uniform to contribute towards my next uniform.

"There are also a lot of people on the page that just gives stuff away for free, which is really nice. It is just a way of paying it forward or helping others.

"There's a lot of poverty in Whangārei, but there is also a lot of generosity."

The mum-of-six, who did not wish to be named, was devastated when she heard of last-minute uniform changes at the school her children attend.

"I have three kids who need uniforms and for two of them, it cost me $580 for new ones.

"When you have kids, secondhand is the only way you go when you have kids like this. When the schools go and change uniforms at the last minute, it makes it even harder."

The family runs a plastering business and said Covid-19 had made it extra hard on the income.

"Work is really just starting back up again. I had to argue with work and income to get the uniform for the kids and since we are not on benefit, they didn't want to help us out.

"Between all of our kids, each needs $50 worth of stationery, two need brand new uniforms, which is another $700. I am still in the middle of getting them school bags and sandals."

The mum said they were left with $1000 and still had to sort mortgage, food, petrol, and the rest of the school stuff.

"Last year, I was using $120 on petrol a week, just for school runs."

Another Whangārei mum, who's on benefit, said she received $300 a week that went towards food, rent, power, and uniform was an added stress.

"It cost $400 just to get one of everything, jacket alone is over $80, shirts $35 each, and it was hectic."

She was also notified of the last-minute uniform change and said she had a "mini-breakdown" because of the stress.