1. The scale of the office supplies market continues to grow
According to data, the scale of the office supplies market reached 2.05 trillion yuan in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 5.1%. Among them, consumables accounted for the highest proportion, reaching 47.8%, followed by assets and equipment, accounting for 28.6%, employee benefits and MRO accounting for 12.3% and 11.3% respectively.
The growth of the office supplies market is mainly driven by the following factors:
- Improvement of economic level.
With the improvement of economic level, enterprises have increased their demand for improving work efficiency and improving working environment, which has promoted the growth of demand for high-quality, high-performance and high-value-added office supplies.
- The increase in the number of enterprises.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the number of enterprises reached 49.42 million in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 7.6%. Among them, the number of private enterprises was 44.095 million, accounting for 89.2%, a year-on-year increase of 8.4%. The increase in the number of enterprises directly drove the demand for office supplies.
- The development of digital procurement.
With the in-depth development and in-depth application of information technology, digital procurement has become the main form of corporate procurement. According to a survey by Shangpu Consulting, the total amount of digital procurement in 2022 will reach 9.8 trillion yuan, accounting for 21.7% of the total public procurement. Digital procurement can improve procurement efficiency, reduce procurement costs, enhance procurement transparency, and provide more sales channels and opportunities for office supplies companies.
2. The product structure of office supplies is becoming more diversified
The product structure of office supplies is mainly affected by factors such as consumer demand, technological innovation, and market competition. With the changes in consumer lifestyles and consumption habits, the product structure of office supplies has also shown a trend of diversification. Specifically manifested in the following aspects:
- The number of office supplies categories continues to increase.
In addition to traditional common office supplies such as stationery, printer consumables, and office furniture, some new office supplies categories have also emerged, such as smart stationery, cultural and creative products, and environmentally friendly products. These new office supplies categories can meet consumers' needs for improving work efficiency, increasing work fun, and protecting the environment.
- The functions of office supplies are constantly enriched.
With the advancement and innovation of science and technology, the functions of office supplies are also constantly enriched and optimized. For example, smart stationery can realize functions such as handwriting recognition, voice transcription, and cloud synchronization, providing users with a more convenient and intelligent writing experience; cultural and creative products can combine various IP elements to provide users with a more personalized and interesting design experience; environmentally friendly products can use degradable materials or recycled materials to provide users with a more green and low-carbon consumption choice.
- The form of office supplies is constantly innovating.
With the improvement of consumers' aesthetic requirements, the form of office supplies is also constantly innovating and changing. For example, stationery products can use various colors, patterns, shapes, etc. to attract consumers' attention; printer consumables can use wireless connections, energy-saving modes, etc. to enhance the user experience; office furniture can use adjustable height, foldable storage, etc. to adapt to the different needs of users.
3. The characteristics of office supply consumption are becoming increasingly obvious
The characteristics of office supply consumption are mainly affected by factors such as consumer groups, consumption scenarios, and consumption motivations. With the development of social economy and changes in population structure, the characteristics of office supply consumption are becoming increasingly obvious. Specifically, it is manifested in the following aspects:
- The consumer group of office supplies is younger.
As the post-90s and post-00s become the main consumer groups, their needs and preferences for office supplies are also different. They pay more attention to the personalization, creativity and emotionalization of office supplies, are more willing to try new and interesting products, and are more easily influenced by online social platforms and Internet celebrities' recommendations
- The consumption scenarios of office supplies are more diversified.
With the popularization of Internet technology and the rise of remote working mode, office places are not limited to traditional offices, but can also be anywhere such as homes, cafes, libraries, etc. This requires office supplies to adapt to different environments and occasions and have higher portability and compatibility. At the same time, office supplies are not only used for work, but also for learning, entertainment, collection and other purposes, which expands the consumption scenarios of office supplies.
- The motivation for office supply consumption is more complicated.
With the improvement of consumers' living standards and the change of consumption concepts, the motivation for office supply consumption is no longer simply to meet basic functional needs, but also includes more emotional needs, social needs and self-realization needs. For example, consumers may buy office supplies to express their personality and taste, or to gain recognition and appreciation from others, or to enhance their abilities and confidence.
4. The competition pattern of office supplies is becoming increasingly fierce
The competition pattern of office supplies is mainly affected by factors such as market concentration, market barriers, and market competition strategies. With the expansion of market scale and changes in market demand, the competition pattern of office supplies is also becoming increasingly fierce. Specifically, it is manifested in the following aspects:
- Market concentration is gradually increasing.
Data shows that in 2022, the market share of the top ten companies in the office supplies industry is 23.6%, an increase of 3.2 percentage points from 2018. Among them, Deli, Qixin and Chenguang accounted for 7.2%, 5.4% and 4.8% of the market share respectively, ranking the top three. This shows that the office supplies industry is in the transition stage from dispersion to concentration, and high-quality brand companies have gradually occupied a dominant position in the market by continuously expanding their scale, improving efficiency and enhancing innovation.
- Market barriers are gradually reduced.
With the development of e-commerce platforms and digital procurement, office supplies sales channels have become more diversified and convenient, providing more opportunities and challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises. At the same time, with the acceleration of technological innovation and product innovation, office supplies products are updated more frequently, providing more space and risks for new entrants. In addition, as consumers' requirements for the quality, design, and service of office supplies continue to increase, office supplies companies need to continue to invest more resources and energy to meet consumer needs, reducing the industry's profit margins and entry barriers.
- Market competition strategies are more diversified.
As market competition intensifies, office supplies companies need to adopt more diversified and flexible competition strategies to cope with market changes. For example, some companies launch co-branded products or customized products by cooperating with various IPs to increase product differentiation and attractiveness; some companies strengthen online and offline integration and establish an omni-channel operation system to improve sales efficiency and coverage; some companies increase R&D investment and launch new products such as intelligent, environmentally friendly, and personalized products to enhance product added value and competitiveness.
5. Suggestions for the future development of office supplies
The office supplies industry still has great development space and potential in the future, but it also requires office supplies companies to constantly adapt to market changes and adopt effective development strategies. The specific suggestions are as follows:
- Strengthen brand building and marketing promotion.
Brand is one of the core competitiveness of office supplies companies, which can improve the company's visibility and reputation, increase consumer loyalty and trust, and expand market share and influence. Office supplies companies should create a distinctive brand image and culture based on their own positioning and characteristics, and conduct effective marketing promotion through various channels and methods to enhance brand value and influence.
- Strengthen product innovation and quality control.
Products are one of the core competitiveness of office supplies companies, which can meet the diversified and personalized needs of consumers, increase product differentiation and attractiveness, and enhance product added value and competitiveness. Office supplies companies should strengthen product innovation and R&D investment according to market demand and technological development, launch more new products such as intelligent, environmentally friendly, and personalized, and strengthen product quality control and service guarantees to improve product quality and user experience.
- Strengthen channel construction and management.
Channels are one of the core competitiveness of office supplies companies, which can improve the sales efficiency and coverage of enterprises, increase the market share and revenue sources of enterprises, and enhance the scale effect and risk resistance of enterprises. Office supplies companies should strengthen online and offline integration according to market characteristics and consumption habits, establish an omni-channel operation system, and strengthen channel management and training to improve channel efficiency and cooperative relationships.
