The annual Japanese stationery “Oscar” – the stationery awards, attracts much attention every year, and the list of winners has also become a buying guide for stationery lovers. This year’s selection gathered judges from 11 well-known large-scale stationery chain stores, including Ishimaru Bunkyodo, Tsutaya Bookstore, Maruzen Bookstore, LOFT, etc. Departmental Awards.
The above is a brief introduction of Sanwen Entertainment to some of the award-winning products. KOKUYO, Baile, Mitsubishi Pencil, designphil and other major stationery manufacturers are on the list. In addition, KOKUYO also has a dual-use color marker that won the first prize in the color pen department, and the JAPAN DAYs mini 2021 won the first prize in the manual accounting department. As a stationery leader, KOKUYO must be on the list every year.
(The size of the Japanese stationery industry in the past 8 years)
According to the survey results of search.com, the size of the stationery industry in 2020-2021 (the total sales of the 28 surveyed companies) is 2,392.3 billion yen. From 2017 to 2019, the stationery market showed a strong growth trend. In the trend of digitization and paperless, personal stationery demand has become the center of driving the market. In addition, with the continuous increase of office buildings in the metropolitan area, the demand for office supplies is also increasing. On the other hand, demand for some commodities declined. According to data released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, stationery sales in 2020 decreased by 17.2% year-on-year to 130.9 billion yen. Last year, it decreased by 27 billion yen, the third consecutive year of decrease.
(Japan’s annual stationery sales trends)
Compared with 2019, pen tools, painting materials, and correction supplies have all decreased significantly. Correction fluid was significantly reduced by 27.8%, mechanical pencil by 23.0%, and ballpoint pen by 20.4%. Although the market as a whole shows an upward trend, in the long run, due to the impact of population reduction and digitalization, the market may shrink. To this end, many large stationery companies are striving to expand their business areas and plan to expand their business income beyond stationery such as digital goods, office furniture, and daily necessities. In addition, large enterprises have entered overseas markets one after another. Led by Asia, the middle-income class in emerging countries is increasing, and the demand for high-performance stationery is growing. For example, KOKUYO, the largest comprehensive office supplies supplier in Japan, is committed to developing sales channels in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and other places, and building production bases there to meet the growing demand for high-performance stationery in Asia. The overseas sales of Baile, a large ballpoint pen company, exceeded 50%, and its popular product, the rubbing pen, has sold over 400 million pens worldwide. Overseas sales of Mitsubishi pencils also reached 42%.
Today, with the deep penetration of SNS, companies are developing products with SNS awareness. In addition to convenience, they focus on topicality and creativity to attract users other than stationery enthusiasts. The term “stationery girl” was born in Japan in recent years, and since 2017, the “stationery girl blog”, an event targeting women who like stationery, has been held and has been well received. Cute and practical stationery such as tape, sticky notes, notepads, colored pens, etc. are very popular. While improving functionality and increasing design, companies are working to develop new high-value-added best-selling products. The following three entertainment to introduce several representative stationery companies. In the second quarter, KOKUYO achieved an overall increase in revenue, with sales of 168.14 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%. The space value business has become the main source of KOKUYO’s revenue. At the same time, it is actively seeking cooperation with animation IP and cooperation with showa note. In the second quarter, Baile’s overall revenue increased, with sales of 50.426 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 16.3%. The classic product series made a major contribution to sales and was committed to the development of high value-added products. Bandai Namco’s sun-star stationery turned a profit, with a net profit of 119 million yen for the current period. Give full play to the IP advantages of the parent company, frequently launch animation co-branded models, and at the same time continue to introduce new classic long-selling products.
According to the financial report of KOKUYO in the second quarter of December 2021 (2021.1.1-2021.6.30), sales were 168.14 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%; operating profit was 14.71 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 45.8%; Ordinary profit was 10.464 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 10.5%, and the current net profit attributable to shareholders was 8.332 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 32.5%. Overall income gain.
(Sales year-on-year analysis)
Domestically, the space value business is the main source of KOKUYO’s revenue, while overseas mainly relies on KOKUYO China to achieve revenue growth. The space value business includes furniture manufacturing/delivery/assembly for offices, medical institutions, educational institutions, government agencies, etc., space design/construction, work style consulting, and interior furniture manufacture/import/sales. In Japan, the proposal for the construction of office space for customers’ new work style, the consultation on measures to prevent the spread of infection, and the need for office remodeling are higher than expected. Overseas, actively promote sales activities in the Chinese market. In the second quarter, its sales increased by 8.7% year-on-year to 84.875 billion yen, and its operating profit increased by 31.2% year-on-year to 12.357 billion yen.
(Transition of sales in the stationery business)
In the global stationery business, in the domestic market, in order to respond to the great changes in the business environment, we will flexibly take measures including improving the system to maintain profits, and at the same time, we will focus on overseas market profits with growth prospects. In the second quarter, sales of its stationery business increased by 3.6% year-on-year to 38.297 billion yen, and operating profit increased by 45.6% year-on-year to 3.845 billion yen. Due to the epidemic, both the BtoB market and the BtoC market have been affected. KOKUYO is committed to strengthening the sales of high value-added learning equipment, focusing on notebooks and stationery that meet the needs of customers with its expanding market share in the BtoC market. In terms of overseas markets, although India and other places have been hit hard by the epidemic and market demand has recovered slowly, in China, where the economic environment is recovering rapidly, the sales of stationery with female high school students as the main consumer group are doing well.
In terms of product development, on the one hand, it is committed to high-value-added advanced functional stationery, and on the other hand, it cooperates with popular animation IP. At the end of last year, KOKUYO announced a capital business cooperation with showa note company to obtain about 15% of its shares on the basis of voting rights. showa note is good at launching co-branded products with anime characters. This cooperation is also KOKUYO’s intention to expand sales and strengthen cooperation with IP. The ジャポニカ learning account (learning notebook, released in 1970, with a cumulative sales of over 1.4 billion copies) produced by showa note ranks first in the Japanese notebook market, and its main customer group is primary school students. In this cooperation, the two companies jointly developed the “Ghost Slayer” notebook .
According to the financial report for the second quarter of December 2021 (2021.1.1-2021.6.30), sales were 50.426 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 16.3%; the current net profit attributable to shareholders was 7.138 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 40.1% . Overall income gain.
In the stationery business in Japan, new products such as the ultra-fine oil-based ballpoint pen “acroball 0.3” have been well received, and the classic ballpoint pen products “FRIXION BALL” series and “juice” series have made major contributions to sales . Begin to use WEB and SNS digital advertisements to send product information directly to end users to prepare for the upcoming market recovery period. In terms of stationery exports, sales to subsidiaries developed smoothly centered on the United States, Europe, and China. On the other hand, sales to external customers in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America were still greatly affected by the epidemic and continued to struggle. In the toy business, the domestic sales of the main products “Mel” series and educational toys have stagnated, but overseas sales have been steadily growing. In summary, sales to external customers of the stationery business amounted to 14.219 billion yen, a year-on-year decrease of 2.1%. Profits rose to 7.965 billion yen due to an increase in shipments to overseas subsidiaries, a year-on-year increase of 30.6%.
In terms of overseas markets, the Americas and Europe are showing a recovery trend. The popular “FRIXION” series is outstanding. Sales in Asia are returning to pre-epidemic levels, and the “juice” series is outstanding.
In terms of product development, Baile also pays attention to high added value and creativity. At the end of last year, it launched Japan’s first oil-based ballpoint pen made of recycled resin from recycled marine plastic waste, priced at 100 yen (excluding tax). In March, Baile launched a high-performance wooden shaft mechanical pencil “S30” with an “automatic device”, which can automatically output the core for continuous writing only by pressing the core once. Resin-impregnated wood shaft, excellent durability, priced at 3,000 yen (tax excluded).
Of course, in addition to focusing on functional products, Baile also actively launched popular IP and designer joint models. For example, “Demon Slayer”, “Detective Conan” and Sanrio co-branded mechanical pencils, Hawaiian designer co-branded limited juice up gel ballpoint pens, etc. Due to the different main customer groups, the frequency of KOKUYO and Baile launching animation co-branded products is not high, while the stationery companies introduced below have an inherent advantage, with a wide range of animation co-branded products and cultural and creative products. Founded in 1952, sun-star stationery is also a time-honored stationery brand in Japan and a stationery company under the Bandai Namco Group. Main stationery, toys, creative gifts, Disney character brand products, etc. Due to the IP advantage of its parent company, sun-star’s products are destined to be closely related to animation IP. According to its latest 13th financial statement (2021.3.31), the net profit for the current period was 119 million yen. The net loss for the 12th period was 162 million yen. Turn losses into profits in an all-round way. Let’s first take a look at the new products launched by sun-star this year.
Since February, sun-star stationery has successively launched a total of 15 kinds of “Ghost Slayer” series of stationery. Including earrings, clear folders, pads, pencils, mechanical pencils, pencil leads, stamps , sticky notes, letter paper, rulers , etc. In April, the Japanese round knife-shaped pencil & pen holder set, with a knife-shaped cap and a knife (pen) holder, was launched, priced at 220-1100 yen (tax included)
The classic anime IP “Sailor Moon” series has also launched a number of collaborative models. Sailor Moon Eternal, a multi-purpose ballpoint pen with a stand, was launched in March in partnership with pen maker Platinum Pen. In May, the “Sailor Moon Eternal” desktop storage vertical multi-function box was launched, as well as the multi-role stamp jointly launched with the stamp manufacturer シヤチハタ, which has built-in ink and is easy to carry. In July, the “Sailor Moon 2022 Hand” was also launched. Account”, the characters are printed on the inner page, and a set of rulers and clips is included.
The “Mobile Suit Gundam” series also launched a number of new products. The “Mobile Suit Z Gundam”, “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” and “Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans” series of seals have been jointly launched with the seal maker シヤチハタ. In addition, a beam saber-shaped name stamp has been introduced. In July, “Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Special Handbook 2022” debuted. The cover is a luxurious tri-fold handbook with side pockets, card sockets, pen covers, etc. on the inside. Signed with “Char Aznable”, it is very attractive to fans. In addition, there are “Char’s special desktop toolbox”, “Tiger electric heating knife shape letter opener” and so on, which are very rich in content.
Of course, in addition to the animation cooperation models with inherent advantages, sun-star also has many long-selling hot stationery and creative stationery. For example, the corner cutting machine “かどまる” launched in 1996, the cumulative sales of this series of products exceeded 2.25 million, and it is the company’s No. 1 online sales performance. “かどまるPRO-NEO”, which was launched last year, also won the Simple Style Award 2020 Special Award (Product Category). The new “かどまるFit” was launched for the 25th anniversary this year. A total of 8 series products have been launched so far. In addition, this year also launched a two-color water-based pen “twiink”. The nib of a pen is divided into two colors. According to the angle and direction of holding the pen, three color effects can be written. It is very useful for making accounts, drawing illustrations, and marking key points.
