The stationery goods market, including greeting cards, social stationery, gifting and partyware, paper crafting and other stationery, reached $36 billion in 2004, up 6.3 percent over industry sales of $33.9 billion in 2002. While greeting cards account for the largest share of industry sales, or $10.3 billion in 2004, sales of greeting cards declined 3.9 percent from 2002.
As a result in the decline of greeting card sales, growth in the stationery goods market is coming from increasing consumer demand for other stationery goods, including gifting and party goods, such as gift wrap, ribbons and partyware, social stationery and paper crafting supplies. Greeting cards offers little growth and opportunity for marketers without new ideas
The greeting card market is mature, with little opportunity for any competitor to eke out significant growth. Nearly 80 percent of adult Americans bought a greeting card in the past year (78 percent) with the typical consumer purchasing an average of about 10 greeting cards overall. Given these dynamics, it is virtually impossible for any marketer to figure out a way to sell more greeting cards to more people more often for more money under the existing greeting card marketing paradigm. Even more challenging for existing greeting card marketers is the fact that a substantial share of the greeting card market today is turned off to the same-old greeting card drill and ready, eager and willing to accept a new alternative. A psychographic analysis of 'why people buy' greeting cards found that about half of the greeting card consumers continue to view greeting cards as an important way to share and communicate their feelings. But for the other half of the market, they buy greeting cards largely because somebody else expects to receive a card. They are not motivated by any deep-seated desire to communicate through a carefully chosen greeting card, rather they are looking for an alternative to the greeting card routine. Greeting cards are just not connecting or relevant to consumers' lives as they once were. Marketers battle increasing commoditization in greeting card market, all the while exacerbating the problem
Even for those consumers who are more or less 'into' the greeting card marketing paradigm, they are looking at cards more like commodities. One key factor is that more greeting cards, even those from the premium marketers like Hallmark and American Greetings, are readily available in mass channels, the number one shopping source for all categories of stationery goods in the Unity survey. As greeting cards become less differentiated and sold more like commodities, shoppers increasingly look for a card that will work for the specific occasion and is priced right. When a shopper perceives virtually no meaningful difference between a $2.50 premium card and a 50 cent one, then they will inevitably go for the lowest price point. Consumer sensitivity to price point is growing in the greeting card market. More consumers view the price paid for the card and the wrapping paper as part of the overall price of a gift. So $5.00 extra for the card and wrapping accoutrements adds to the overall perceived price of the gift. And many people today would rather put that extra $5 toward the gift itself and keep the extras to a bare minimum. Marketers and retailers of stationery goods need to address these and other trends in the changing ways consumers are using and shopping for greeting cards, social stationery, gifting and partyware, paper crafts and other stationery goods. Marketing success will come to companies that identify the shifts and turns in the consumer market before everybody else. And that is what this research study is all about. It will give companies that need to know the future of the stationery goods market a view 'over the horizon.' Unity brings a new approach to consumer insight research that will make you the smartest competitor 'on the block.' Research that will tell you not just what has happened and where the market has been, but where it is going and how it is changing and shifting and transforming. The result: Your company will be ready and prepared when the future arrives. Consumer Insights on Stationery Goods Market
Unity Marketing has conducted a major new consumer research study to give marketers and retailers of stationery products insight into the consumer mind set. With a focus on the consumers and how they experience stationery products and shop for these goods, Unity Marketing's new study focuses on the buying behavior and purchase motivation for greeting cards, gifting and partyware, paper craft supplies, social stationery and other stationery goods. Based on both quantitative and qualitative research among recent stationery goods consumers, this report focuses on market opportunities available to product manufacturers and retailers to help them deliver products and services that satisfy the consumers' craving for paper products to communicate, express oneself, celebrate and to craft. With a focus on consumers, their buying behavior, needs, desires and preferences, this research study includes research data and statistics about: · Stationery Goods Market Size and Growth: What is the size of the overall stationery goods market, as well as the five key product segments (e.g. greeting cards, social stationery, gift wrap and party goods, paper crafting products and other stationery products) and how rapidly is it growing? How is the stationery goods market segmented by type of product? · Demographics of the Stationery Goods Market: What are the demographic characteristics of people who buy stationery goods products? How is stationery goods buying behavior influenced by demographic segments (e.g., gender, age, HHI, size, composition, ethnicity/race, education, etc.)? · Stationery Goods Buying Behavior: What are the primary characteristics of the consumers' buying behavior related to stationery goods in general and the five product segments (e.g. greeting cards, social stationery, gift wrap and party goods, paper crafting products and other stationery products) in particular? Why do they buy these goods and how do consumers' motivations different by product category segment? Where do they shop for the different types of stationery products? What factors influence their decision making? How much do they spend buying each of the stationery goods products and across the entire stationery goods category? What is the role of brand in stationery goods product selections and shopping choices? How do different demographic segments differ in their shopping and buying behavior? · Psychographic Profile and Segmentation of the Greeting Card Markets: A psychographic profile of the greeting card buyers is developed in this report. The profiles identify four different types or personalities of consumers of greeting card. These profiles identify different drives and motivations found among consumers in purchasing greeting cards; what factors are more or less important in driving greeting card purchasing decisions; and how greeting card marketers and retailers can better understand the hearts and minds of their consumers. In essence, we will discover "why people buy greeting cards." | 
