22
| P2P Magazine | Winter 2016
01732 759725
Heavyweight
legal and
professional
manilla filing
has grown 88%
in four years
– in a market
that overall has
declined by
15-20%.
PREDICTIONS
of the national living wage; it will
be interesting to see how many OP
companies pass this on to either the
trade or consumer.
“We will also have, at last, the
results of the proposed Office Depot
and Staples merger, which will have a
major impact on the sector worldwide,
especially in the UK and USA.With both
national wholesalers owned by venture
capital organisations, further acquisitions
by both are predicted.
“The downward trend for traditional
products will continue; more progressive
dealers who are increasingly flexible will
gain market share as the end user sees
the environmental benefit of buying
local; and, of course, online sales aren’t
going away.
“Manufacturers, regrettably so few
now in the UK, will continue to review
the ‘route to market’, as they look to
take cost out of their operations – don’t
be surprised if some consider going direct
to the ‘end user’.
“The one certainty is that the
industry will continue to change and The
Worshipful Company of Stationers and
Newspaper Makers will continue to play
its part – as we have done since 1403!”
Filing & Archiving
LASTING APPEAL
KevinWharton,
Marketing Manager,
ExaClair
“In filing, a growing trend over the
last couple of years has been towards
premium quality heavyweight manilla
products. During the recession, a
number of customers trialled medium or
lightweight products, and we have found
that these customers have come back to
brands like Guildhall that they know they
can rely on to stand up to frequent use
over a long period of time.
“Heavyweight legal and professional
manilla filing has grown 88% in four
years – in a market that overall has
declined by 15-20%. To service this
specific demand, we have just launched
specialised pre-printed Guildhall manilla
folders that enable businesses to use
standardised information boxes on the
fronts of folders to make it quick and
easy for the busy legal or professional
offices to use.We think added-value
features such these will be popular
with traditional filing customers who
are willing to spend a little more on
functionality and durability.
“The trends we’ve seen in storage
products have been all about space-saving,
so products like Modulo desk top drawer
sets, where you can effectively create a
filing cabinet to suit the space available,
are becoming increasingly popular.
“Colour is another big trend in storage
products, especially when coordinated
with other products within desktop
accessory ranges.
“Boutique, premium quality
notebooks and pads have risen
dramatically in popularity over the past
two to three years, and we see this trend
continuing in 2016. One reason for
their popularity has been the increasing
number of mobile workers, who are
regularly client-facing and look to
portray a professional and stylish image.
This group of on-the-move professionals
cannot afford to compromise on quality
and durability – product strength is as
important as good design.
“The proof of the pudding is our
Rhodia range. Because there is a larger
market for boutique and premium
ranges, we have been able to expand
the range massively over the past four
years, from the original orange and black
designs to a wider range of colours,
styles and cover types.”
Tapes & dispensers
CONTENT IS KING
Phillip Johnson,
Key Account Manager,
tesa UK
“As ordering online has become
commonplace for consumers, we have
focused on delivering high quality content
to our distribution partners, in terms of
videos, images and optimised text to
improve the online shopping experience.
We expect the percentage of orders
placed online to keep growing in 2016.
“Market research carried out at
tesa shows that consumers are keen to
brighten and personalise their working
environment, while being aware of space
constraints.With this in mind, we have
developed an eye-catching, colourful,
new stationery product range, which
includes smaller items perfect for even
the smallest desk or drawer.
“For tesa, the outlook for 2016 is
very good. A number of customers have
been keen to increase the range of tesa
products on offer.We are also working
with a new distributor, which will enable
us to supply an even broader customer
base in 2016.”
Envelopes
FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER
Michael Barter,
Managing Director,
Blake
“In 2015, we noticed that go-ahead,
progressive companies are paying
more attention to, and spending more
money on, their postal presentation. An
envelope or package is the first thing
a consumer sees and some companies
understand the value of maximising this
point of contact. Research suggests that
a coloured envelope is nine times more
likely to be opened than a white one.
“We have seen a dramatic increase in
the need for postal presentation solutions
and we think this will continue into 2016.
E-commerce has driven the need for more
creative ways to package products. The
bespoke market will also continue to grow
as people seek ever more interesting ways
to stand out from the crowd.”
...continued
Phillip Johnson,
Key Account
Manager,
tesa UK
Michael Barter,
Managing
Director,
Blake
KevinWharton, Marketing Manager,
ExaClair
