Social stationery challenges the newsagency

Card companies are extending more and more beyond greeting cards and into social stationery and related items. Newsagents are taking up the opportunities of a broader product offering.

The challenge for newsagents is how to extend into what for some is a new category. Take the Lady Jane Note Blocks (see photo) from For Arts Sake. They are a brilliant gift, idea for Mother’s Day and beyond. Even though they come with an excellent retail display, it is not enough to have this unit alone – it needs to be part of a broader story of social stationery.

Newsagents moving into this space will need product from three or four suppliers so that they can create a striking visual display. They need sufficient stock and range so that social stationery can own its own space in store. This product cannot be located in the stationery department nor can it be located in the card department.

Products like the Lady Jane range work well when placed in a space of their own with complimentary products which, when seen together, demonstrate a choice for the consumer. The attractiveness of these social stationery items lend themselves to a bright and happy retail story. That cannot be achieved by one or two ranges.

The risk for newsagents is that they will be told by one card company rep to take their range of social stationery and nothing else. Better advice would be to take this range and be sure to get two or three other ranges too.

Social stationery is hot. It is not an easy fit for a traditional newsagency and requires different retail skills. The best way to learn how to make it work is to visit gift shops and some of the majors such as David Jones and Myer.

For me, success in the social stationery space begins with an appropriately diverse range.