Cheap iPads and printers on installment: Homebound students and parents cope with coronavirus epidemic
Demand for computers and tech accessories surges as people hunker down at home to avoid catching Covid-19
Under normal circumstances, doing well in school involves showing up to class and handing in assignments on time. Now the coronavirus outbreak has introduced a brand new challenge to completing these simple tasks: Getting ahold of computers and printers.
From elementary schools to universities, campuses across China have remained shut since January while the country grapples with a deadly epidemic. As teachers turn to live-streamed lessons and hand out homework online, students and parents suddenly find themselves scrambling for tablets and other gizmos.
Online sales of laptops and computer accessories have soared recently, according to Lexin, a finance platform targeting millennials. It says its shopping app Fenqile, which lets users pay for smartphones and even snacks in installments, saw laptop sales rise 50% in the past two weeks compared with the same period last month. Average daily sales of used iPads also surged by 40% compared with January.
But some people have learned that not every school assignment can be completed virtually. Some teachers still require students to print out homework and test papers.
So while computers and tablets are also flying off the shelves at Chinese retail giant Suning, printers are particularly sought after, with sales rising as much as 200% since the Lunar New Year holiday. Students and parents who don’t have a printer at home have to fall back on copying worksheets and exam papers by hand.
On popular shopping site JD.com, many budget printer models have sold out, including second-hand units.
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