Stationary: After a stable Q1 last year, we start 2017 with a strong decline

With a decrease in value of -4%, the total Stationery market continues its downwards spiral from 2016. This decline in value is seen at all channels, where even the Stationers couldn’t find any growth in the first quarter of 2017. The biggest decline was seen at the Office Equipment Specialists. In pieces the market did a little bit better with -2.8%.

Cartridges, representing 28% of the total Stationery market, is co-responsible for the total value decline in Q1 by decreasing with -6.8%. The category of Writing Instruments which represents 17% of the market, is also declining in value by -4.1%. Where we hoped that Coloring products would recover after a bad 2016, mainly due to the coloring hype in 2015, they still cannot find growth this year within Writing Instruments. Markers and Highlighters are two product groups that are showing strong growth figures. The arrival of some new products at the Highlighters in 2016, are co-responsible for the high growth figures at this type of product.

Although the Cartridges and Writing Instruments show negative figures, the category of Paper & Labels is showing a growth of +3.1% in value. Because of this growth, they are gaining share within each channel. Also Planning & Presentation is growing with +2% in value, together with the Books/Pads/Accounting (+12%) and Occasional Goods (+3%). This last category, which contains Gift Wrap and their accessories, can only be found at the B2C-channels.

We all hope that the Stationery market can find a way out of this more negative flow and again find growth during the next quarters of 2017.

Thalia De Mesmaeker - Business Analyst Stationary

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