The Joy FM Back-to-School Fair will kick off today, Friday, September 4, at the Joy FM Car Park in Kokomlemle, Accra, bringing together a wide range of vendors offering essential items ahead of the new academic year.

The two-day fair, running from now to September 5, is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day.

Parents and guardians can shop from a variety of vendors offering school essentials, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, school bags, shoes, clothing, textbooks, stationery, food products and other educational supplies.

The fair provides parents, guardians and students with a convenient opportunity to purchase everything they need for the new school year, while also giving vendors a platform to showcase their products and services.

A major highlight of the fair is the participation of Compu Ghana, the sponsor and also a vendor, which is offering up to 40% discounts on selected home appliances and electronic gadgets.

The offer, which runs from now until September 20, covers products including laptops, tablets, smartphones, printers, routers, headphones, power banks and small fridges.

Speaking on JoyFM's Super Morning Show, Maxwell Fugar, General Manager for Sales and Marketing at the Multimedia Group Limited, said the fair was introduced to make back-to-school shopping easier and more affordable for parents.

He said the initiative was introduced in response to the difficulties parents often face when preparing their children for the new school year, particularly the stress of shopping for multiple school essentials.

“Convenient shopping is one of the things that drove us to set up this Back-To-School discount fair,” he said.

He said reducing the financial burden on parents was equally important, particularly as families prepare for the new school year.

“The second part, and probably the most important, is the cost,” Mr Fugar said.

Several book and stationery companies are also participating in the fair.

Kingdom Books & Stationery Limited is showcasing books from nursery to tertiary level, writing instruments, diaries, office essentials, equipment and furniture, including swivel chairs and mobile drawers.

Paddington Publications Limited is offering preschool and lower-primary textbooks in various subjects, while Universal Knowledge Kingdom Limited is showcasing educational materials, commercial stationery and writing instruments such as pens, pencils, staplers, pen holders and magnifying lenses.

SalJay Bookshop is also offering Christian literature, dictionaries, textbooks, children’s novels, scrapbooks and other stationery products.

For parents looking for children’s products, Prestige Children’s Palace is providing school bags, snack boxes, shoes, clothes, stationery and baby foods, while BeGerts Kids is showcasing clothing and accessories for children.

The fair is also catering to the needs of young girls, with Flow Glow Impact showcasing sanitary pads designed with different flow sizes to provide comfort, protection and confidence throughout the menstrual cycle.

Logistics company Haps Global Logistics Limited is also exhibiting its services.  A Ghanaian-owned freight, clearance and supply chain company connecting Ghana to more than 50 countries.

Shoppers can also access grocery products and online shopping services from Zonzoom Limited, while Media Brain Consult is showcasing Kivo products, including Kivo Shito, Kivo Gari, Kivo pepper, Kivo ginger, natural garlic and onion powder.

Consumer goods manufacturer Unilever Ghana Limited is also participating, with products including Pepsodent, Lipton, Royco and Blue Band.

The fair further brings together organisations in the education sector.

Shsonline.com, described as Ghana’s first fully online senior high school, is showcasing virtual academic courses and remedial programmes for students preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

Challenge Bookshop, a distributor of biblically balanced literature and media, is also exhibiting at the fair, alongside Afram Publications Ghana Limited, which operates in book and periodical publishing, media and internet services.

Sunrise Christian High School, a private high school in the Volta Region, is also part of the participating exhibitors.

With vendors covering key areas including technology, education, children’s products, stationery, personal care, groceries and logistics, the Joy FM Back-to-School Fair is positioned as a one-stop destination for families preparing for the reopening of schools.

The fair is ongoing from today, with parents, guardians and visitors encouraged to visit the participating vendors and take advantage of the available discounts and special offers, particularly the Compu Ghana promotion running until September 20.