Buyers will be able to see more than 150 stationery and pen brands from over 20 countries on more than 100 stands at next month’s Stationery Show in London, more than at any other UK exhibition this year. Three quarters of the exhibitors haven’t exhibited at another UK exhibition so far this year, and nearly all of them are showing new products.
“Fashion-led stationery is hugely popular with consumers, and is a great sales opportunity for gift and card retailers” says organiser Chris Leonard-Morgan. “This year’s exhibition is 30% bigger than last year’s event with over 50 new exhibitors, and is a must-visit for anyone serious about growing their stationery sales. It’s where fashion meets function”
The Stationery Show is now in its third year and is the only UK exhibition dedicated to stationery products and writing instruments. It is a one-stop stationery superstore for retailers where they can see everything from the ordinary to the extraordinary in one convenient place at one time, from beautiful notebooks, stylish pens and children’s stationery to novelty and social stationery, diaries and desk accessories.
“A dedicated Stationery Show enables us to access new products quickly and easily – it’s definitely time well spent” says Henri Davies, stationery buyer for the National Trust.
Pens and notebooks are now very much fashion accessories – they’re the new fashion fix! – and retailers will be able to see the biggest selection of pen and pencil brands at any UK exhibition with over forty brands on show. Sheaffer are celebrating their centenary with a number of new lines including the stylish new Ferrari Collection, while Parker are marking their 125th anniversary with the addition of the elegant Ingenuity Ring Collection in Parker 5th Technology to their successful new Ingenuity range. It is available in 4 new finishes.
Other writing instrument exhibitors include Lamy, Caran d’Ache, Faber-Castell, Kaweco, Platinum, Schneider, Montegrappa, Fisher, Visconti, Monteverde, Pentel, Zebra Pen and Stabilo.
According to GfK, if the combined 2012 sales of fountain pens where placed on top of one another, they would be the same height as the top 22 mountain peaks in the world!
The notebook and diary you use also makes a statement about who you are and this is another rising fashion category. It is generally accepted that women in particular can never have too many notebooks! Again, accordingly to GfK, enough A4 notebooks were sold in 2012 alone to cover the exterior of the Shard, 31 times over!
There are fifty different notebook brands and suppliers at the London Stationery Show including Letts Filofax, Collins Debden, Arwey from Turkey, Daycraft from Taiwan, Archie Grand from Sweden, Conceptum and Leuchtturm1917 from Germany, Dodo Pad, Fabriano from Italy, Gnu from GMC Distribution, Monsieur, Dataday/Leathersmith, Moleskine, More than Bags, Nuco, Piccadilly and Peter Pauper Press from the USA, Ryland Peter & Small and the new Pantone range from Stone Marketing. There is something for everyone.
Other growing categories at the show include novelty stationery, whose exhibitors include Thinking Gifts, Knock Knock/Abrams & Chronicle, KUM and NPW, licensed stationery from companies such as Elgate Products (Horrible Histories), Harris & Jones, Santoro, Otter House and Life Canvas, and children’s stationery.
“The Stationery Show is a great idea” says Kate Donkin, buyer of gifts, stationery, greeting cards and books for Bentalls. “It’s really useful to have stationery suppliers all in one place.”
The London Stationery Show takes place at the stylish Business Design Centre in Islington on Tuesday 23 – Wednesday 24 April during National Stationery Week.
