Stores Still Rule Back-to-School

Brick-and-Mortar Still Dominates Back-to-School Office Supplies

Kindness Rocks

Similar to benefits of adult coloring and DIY slime, The Kindness Rocks Project is an outlet for consumers to collectively participate in an activity that connects them and supports compassion through the process. With spring underway, summer fast approaching, and back-to-school season down the road, this is a trend to watch.

Spark Joy to Grow Sales

The launch of Marie Kondo’s new Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” brought the idea of “Choosing Joy” to American households and the response has been mass participation. Sales of organization products including file storage supplies and specialty labels are growing, reaping the benefits of consumers’ latest obsession with tidying.

The E-Commerce Effect

2018 was a year of continued online growth for the U.S. office supplies industry; while brick-and-mortar retail sales were relatively flat, the e-commerce channel grew double digits compared to 2017. E-commerce has transformed the way consumers browse, compare, and purchase products, and this behavior continues to evolve. As a result, we expect the online channel will bring even more opportunities and changes to the office supplies space in 2019.

A Creativity-Inspired Holiday Season

The holiday season presents consumers with a perfect opportunity to get in touch with their creative side – a behavior that bodes well for the office supplies market. Several arts, crafts, and traditional supplies categories tied to ornament decorating, homemade décor, and other trends will be top industry performers this holiday.

An Eco-Friendly Back-to-School

In office supplies, the market for products made from recycled materials is growing. And, as consumers look towards sustainable alternatives to traditional school supplies, reusable notebooks such as the Rocketbook, as well as dry erase boards have become popular options.

The Changing Face of Back-to-School Shopping

Convenience-based online purchasing methods, and Millennial parents stepping in as the next generation of back-to-school shoppers are shifts that are changing the face of back-to-school shopping for traditional supplies.

A Digital Detox

With many technologies and smart devices at our disposal, consumers nevertheless need a cleanse from the digital stare. New office designs; growth in pen, planner and notebook sales; and trends like bullet journaling and hand lettering, reflect this digital detox.

Consumers Get Crafty this Holiday Season

The U.S. office supplies industry is no exception to the shopping trends emerging this holiday season, as there are several products trending for holiday crafting, gift giving, and home décor.

Women’s Movement Impacts Spending on Office Supplies

Setting political views aside, the women’s movement has positively influenced the sales of office supplies.

Things are About to Get Pretty Sticky

The slime trend is oozing its way into schools throughout the nation and worldwide, and as more parents receive requests for the five key ingredients, retailers want to make sure they not only have these, and other slime enhancing supplies, stocked,

Why the Small Business Customer is Important, and How Retailers Should Respond

Consumers Continue to Color this Holiday Season

It was about two years ago that we at NPD detected the adult coloring book trend beginning to take flight and, alongside this trend, sales of colored pencils, markers, and even gel pens soared. During the first month of the 2015 holiday season, sales of coloring pages were up 70 percent and sales of complementary products like colored pencil sets grew over 100 percent. Demand for these items was so strong that some manufacturers were unable to turn around enough colored pencils to meet the consumer demand. Exactly one year later and the consumer demand for these products has continued.

Office Supplies - Putting Fashion into Function

On the Move

On the Move

School Supply Charitable Giving

Paperworld Germany At A Glance

Paperworld Germany At A Glance

Keeping A Pulse On The Growing Handmade Movement

Keeping A Pulse On The Growing Handmade Movement

What Women Want

What Women Want