Market forecast: Don't write off stationery, greeting cards just yet

The global stationery and greeting cards market will register at CAGR of 7.4 percent from 2016 to 2020, according to Technavio.

In its latest global stationery and cards market report, the research firm identified three emerging trends that will be the key growth contributors:

First, licensing of stationery boosts sales via new product launches. Characters from TV shows, including cartoons and movies, are popular among stationery. Children in particular are the driving point and is projected to cause a major turnaround in the market for the next four years. US office supplies retailer Staples collaborated with Nickolodeon to carry licensed Ninja Turtles and Spongebob designs on current models.

Second, convenience and practicality drive manufacturers to better innovate their products. For instance, a pinless stapler, which creates holes in the paper to bind them together without metal staples, was recently introduced. Another is the Jackpen, a tiny pen that can be inserted into the headphone socket of a mobile phone. This is useful for those who keep on losing pens.

Greeting cards are also revamped, incorporating audio and visual properties such as light-up and video cards.

Finally, as green products are everywhere nowadays, not just for food and clothing, but also for office and school supplies, consumers are looking into environment-friendly stationery. Glebe Cottage is a brand that offers cards that were produced using vegetable-based inks and sustainable energy. Jacinto and Lirio, meanwhile, upcycles water lilies, which normally pollute waterways, into journals and planners.

The report also listed the key vendors in the market, including Office Depot and Wal-Mart. Hallmark and American Greetings, however, constitute almost 80 percent of the greeting cards market. Other companies include Japan-based Kokuyo and Lyreco of France.

On the B2B side, Global Sources suppliers carry innovative pens that are ideal for corporate giveaways such as the collapsible pen from Novelstar.

See a comparison table of stationery gift set suppliers on GlobalSources.com