For some newsagents, the future of stationery is when we stop pitching pens, pencils and other stationery lines as stationery and start pitching pens, pencils and other stationery lines as quirky gifts, gifts for all sorts of occasions. I mean pens, pencils and other stationery lines purchased specifically for this purpose, different to what you have in the stationery aisle today.
This can help us sell to people beyond the stationery shopper as it is stationery not sold as stationery.
It is exactly what Typo, Smiggle and even Kikki.k to an extent do. We can do it.
With more gift suppliers additions stationery related items to their product mix in Australia, more retailers see this as an option. It has been a trend at overseas fairs for several years and has taken a wile to achieve wider acceptance here from suppliers.
I mention this today as in the pen and pencil space these items are a bridge item, they bridge between traditional stationery and gift and I figured that may interest newsagents looking to do this, newsagents confronted by challenges with traditional stationery sales and wondering about tradition steps.
If you are coming to the Melbourne gift fair, keep a look out for stationery themed gifts as I expect more suppliers to offer these.
In today’s marketplace, the best customers for pens and those not being them for traditional function.