Trends at the fair

The trends at Paperworld 2012 demonstrate quality and individuality

Colourful products catch the eye

Sustainability and quality in demand

Sustainability and quality are the predominant trends in the stationery and office-article segments whereby importance is attached not only to the ecological orientation of the individual products but also to production and sourcing. In the case of external production, great significance is also attached to adherence to standards for the people making the products. Environmental conservation is also important in the office-supplies segment – from air cleaners via energy-saving office machines, to climate-neutral stamps. In some cases, the great importance attached to sus­tainability comes from the manufacturers, in some cases it is demanded by the major trading companies and commercial users. 

Quality is also a criterion of great importance for consumers: “Following a flood of cheap products from Asia, customers have seen the quality differences and returned to branded products, which have therefore been able to gain ground significantly”, confirmed Rolf Schifferens, Chairman of the Altenaer Kreis (AK), the associa­tion of brand-name manufacturers in the paper, office supplies and stationery sector.

Trends: service and individuality

Striking in all segments is the increased orientation of the assortment to customer needs. Products are no longer arranged by classic categories but with the aim of solving consumer problems, a trend that reaches right into the marketing field. No longer are individual products promoted. Instead, the advertising focus is on complete solutions for users. This trend is by no means limited to school or office materials and extends into the stationery sector where sets for different occasions, from invitations to table decorations and acknowledgement cards, are available.

Another development that stretches over a variety of segments can also be seen in the stationery field – product individualisation is be­coming increasingly easy. This is shown, for example, by greetings cards with individual texts or office articles with embossed names, etc. In such cases, the opportunities offered by the internet are more often being combined with those of the stationery trade. Consumers are willing to pay more for individuality and attach great importance to good service. 

Skilful combinations of bright colours and multi-media solutions

Depending on the season, fresh colours play an important part in the stationery sector. The trend is moving away from strong colours, such as lilac and pink, to orange, curry shades and blue. As in recent years, decorative elements frequently appear with dots. Most recent­ly, however, they are being combined with light striped patterns. Additionally, a luxuriant (Oriental) ornamentation is to be seen in both Christmas and seasonal designs.

Green, blue and pink continue to be popular in the high-grade paper, stationery and office supplies segment where sets provide an in­teresting supplementary benefit. From matching pens or pencils, via a suitable calendar or notepad, to the case, unity is essential. More and more complete sets are available as presents – cards, books and confectionery with the same look go well together. Combinations are also in demand for the table, e.g., matching invitation cards, placemats and glass mats.

This season’s stationery is characterised by more intensive shades of colour. Blue and orange are much in demand. With a view to younger target groups, writing utensils are being combined with mobile communication devices, such as smartphones and tablets, and ‘Stylus tip’ is the buzzword – colourful writing utensils are being fitted with the new ‘user aids’ and equipped with holders for, e.g., earphones. The idea behind this is that although young people primarily communicate via technical channels, they still like to use conventional writing utensils.