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Spr i ng 2012 | p2p Magaz i ne |
23
www.binfo.co.uk
ICONS
Is the writing
on the wall?
Stationery (Personal & Office) is Key
Note’s newest Market Update. It charts the
difficulties the stationery market is having
currently in the wake of technological
innovations, which are one of the greatest
threats to the prosperity of some sectors
within the industry, alongside an increasingly
environmentally-conscious public.
Though this is a trend that is only
gathering momentum slowly – it is one
that is threatening the stationery industry.
The use of computers in the office has cut
down on expenditure on writing utensils
and the connectivity resulting from the
spread of email, has reduced the need for
envelopes and the like.
Environmental concerns
Also affecting the market are
environmental issues. The stationery
industry is heavily reliant on raw
materials such as paper and board; to a
lesser extent, plastic is also needed for
items such as pens and other pieces of
stationery. Not only is wood required
for paper but the manufacturing process
uses large quantities of water and often
bleaching agents, both of which can
be detrimental to the environment.
Furthermore, many pieces of stationery,
such as pens or sheets of paper, are
single-use and are disposed of after use,
which compounds the problem. Though
recycling facilities do exist, there is not
a 100% recycling rate for all pieces of
single-use stationery.
This has caused a build-up of
pressure on the industry to improve
its environmental credentials. Several
companies have been taking a very
proactive role in this area, by signing
up to initiatives that have them pledge
to reduce the raw materials used and
help in lowering the quantities of office
waste produced, or achieving more
environmentally-friendly production
methods via carbon offsetting schemes
for example.
New product development has
reflected this shift in attitude towards
more environmentally-friendly products.
One such method has been the increased
use of sustainable pulp sourcing, wherein
manufacturers enter into partnerships
with accreditation and certification
bodies to increase their presence in
the sustainable sourcing sphere.
Pens made from recycled plastic
are also becoming increasingly
prevalent and even pencils made
from recycled plastics rather than
wood, are being used increasingly
as promotional tools for various
companies as well as being on
general sale.
Products that have been around for
many years – such as refillable pens and
mechanical, refillable pencils are slowly
becoming more popular in the wake
of this demand for more eco-friendly
products. However, as they are generally
more expensive than the single-use type
and require consumables – an added
expense; according to Keynote, they are
not likely to overtake sales of other types
of pens and pencils any time soon.
Innovation
Against such a gloomy background,
stationery is being forced to undergo a
transition, with ranges being repositioned
in order to face up to the challenging
environment in which they now operate.
As the general use of stationery and
the value of the market declines, it has
become more common to see items of
stationery, such as notebooks, adapted to
include striking or eye-catching designs.
Innovation is also important in other
sectors, such as writing instruments
and binders, which have begun to push
stationery more towards the gifting
sector compared to previous years, when
practical usage was the key aspect of
such products.
The outlook
The outlook for the stationery market
is mixed. Although some items such as
fountain pens and stationery gift sets,
including highly-designed notebooks –
will remain popular over the next five
years, Key Note is predicting a general
trend of decline, as computerisation and
digitalisation increases and the use of
traditional stationery products, such as
pens and paper, begins to taper off.
The apparent UK market for personal
and office stationery stood at
an estimated £1.01bn in 2011,
representing a fairly significant fall in
value from 2008, the beginning of Key
Note’s four-year review period. The
poor economic situation has damaged
sales from the corporate sector as UK
businesses continue to struggle and
Government cutbacks have resulted in
a reduction in the amount of spending
on stationery by public bodies, such as
the health and education sectors.
The paperless office
The largest market sector in the broadest
terms remains the paper and board sector
however; the past four years have seen
a decline in value in excess of a third.
The paperless office is becoming a more
pronounced phenomenon, albeit a slow-
moving one. This idea has become more
feasible within the past two years due to
the increasing use of tablet computers,
which are as portable as sheets of paper
but more functional in many ways.
The Market Update, Stationery
(P&O) 2012 is available to
purchase from Key Note on
0845 504 0452, by email at
[email protected] or at
www.keynote.co.uk, priced £411.