Latest research from GfK has revealed triple digit growth in online sales of fountain pens, which are already up by 124 percent in 2013 compared with 2012*. Sales of prestige writing instruments have consequently aided the online stationery market’s growth this year of 8.4 percent in value and 3.3 percent in volume.
The overall market for prestige writing instruments saw an increase in online sales when compared to 2012, with volume sales growth in 2013 of 17.1 percent. This is a result of a switch in purchasing behavior, which is seeing consumers actively searching for deals that are being found online.
Other items in the prestige category such as mechanical pencils, rollerball and ballpoint pens accounted for 10.6 percent of online value sales within the total market in 2012, compared with 5.7 percent in 2008. High-end writing instruments are continuing to increase their share of the online stationery market, and this is expected to continue throughout the year.
Due to the continuing expansion of online stationery sales, other categories such as colouring pens, colouring pencils and crayons have enjoyed sales growth. Latest 2013 figures for colouring saw an online value growth of 36.2 percent when compared to the same months the previous year. It is expected that this success will continue throughout 2013.
After experiencing declines, the business channel’s resilience has been aided by the sales of prestige writing instruments. This has also allowed the retail channel to enjoy continuous growth, increasing 5.2 percent in value in 2013 compared to 2012.
Sarah Wheeler, GfK Account Manager comments, “Writing instruments have shown signs of growth in 2013 with key product areas such as prestige items driving sales. These items are expected to continue expanding and other categories such as highlighters and colouring are expected to develop through brand led performance. Online sales are consistently growing, and this is expected to continue not only for high-end stationery, but for all stationery product areas.”
Image of Silver Pen by Canterbury Silver Co, exhibiting at the London Stationery Show
See beautiful writing instruments at the London Stationery Show next week….
