ClickZ Stationery - 02.06.2025

Plus, a legacy pencil brand is making a sustainability-driven comeback

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ClickZ Stationery is your essential newsletter for stationery e-commerce professionals. 💫

Editor’s Pick 🌟

Amazon’s “walled garden” has kept brands guessing—until now. Fospha’s latest research reveals the true impact of DTC ads on Amazon sales by measuring Unified ROAS (Shopify + Amazon revenue):

🔹 TikTok: +80% higher ROAS when Amazon is included

🔹 Meta: +46% higher ROAS (a major shift at scale)

Paid Social drives purchase intent—consumers click today but buy on Amazon later. Now, for the first time, it’s measurable.

Sector Spotlight 🎥

STATIONERY INDUSTRY DYNAMICS

National Stationery Week 2025 stands as a pivotal point for eCommerce professionals within the stationery industry, with heavyweight sponsors like 3M and Staedtler paving the way for innovative digital strategies and enhanced community engagement. The event, slated for May 12-18, offers a structured seven-week campaign, serving as a rich case study in building pre-event momentum. This presents an invaluable opportunity for those in eCommerce to explore how collaborative efforts with major brands can elevate digital platforms and customer interactions, reflecting a shift towards sustained market growth.

Concurrently, the London Stationery Show on May 13-14 emerges as a hub for exchanging cutting-edge practices among industry leaders, offering fresh perspectives on sustainability and strategic customer experience enhancements. The meticulously planned event activities and specific sponsorship roles provide insights into effective community engagement strategies, highlighting the interconnectedness of digital presence and tangible market influence. This combination of strategic foresight and market engagement offers a template for refining eCommerce strategies, emphasizing the importance of blending innovation with sustainability to optimize platform performance and customer satisfaction.

STATIONERY RENAISSANCE

The burgeoning interest in Japanese stationery, particularly Hobonichi notebooks, highlights a market opportunity driven by consumer demand for artisanal craftsmanship. In a digital age, these products offer tactile satisfaction and represent a strategic focal point for eCommerce professionals aiming to enhance customer engagement and sustainability in platform offerings.

PRODUCT INNOVATION

Legami presents Butterfly and Tiger erasable pens—tailored for trend-conscious consumers—with vibrant pink and orange inks. Halley Ripley underscores their innovative, colorful design, anticipating a surge in demand. Kawaii soft-touch pencil cases complement the launch, reinforcing Legami's position at the forefront of creative, market-responsive stationery solutions, driving digital engagement.

SUSTAINABLE STATIONERY RESURGENCE

Gemma Chambers, a fifth-generation pencil maker, has purchased the assets of the defunct Chambers Pencils and launched The UK Pencil Company. Her vision focuses on expanding UK manufacturing and sustainability, reflecting commitment to quality and customer satisfaction while embracing new environmental and market opportunities.

CONSUMER INSIGHTS

Modern consumers are relentless in their pursuit of product discovery, demanding that brands remain nimble and resourceful in their marketing strategies. With channels multiplying and consumer behavior evolving, marketers face a revamped landscape. The demise of the conventional linear marketing funnel points to an era where strategic foresight in multi-channel engagement is imperative. The ability to pinpoint where consumers gravitate for research is critical. As Cristy Garcia, CMO at impact.com, asserts, understanding this ecology allows for targeted and effective marketing investments—ignoring it means brands are "flying blind."

Drawing upon a study by EMARKETER and impact.com, we see consumers engaging with brands myriad times before making a purchase. Garcia contends that branding efforts must be seamless and value-driven across every touchpoint. This involves optimizing content throughout the customer journey and aligning affiliate partnerships with brand values, crafting an experience that resonates deeply with target audiences.

The rise of mixed-channel exploration, embracing both digital and in-store worlds, reveals varied consumer preferences. Younger users might favor mobile experiences, while older ones incline towards traditional retail. This shift necessitates a nuanced blend of online and offline strategies to maintain coherent messaging and maximize conversion. With generative AI's growing role in personalization, brands must keep pace by offering transparency and leveraging educational materials, reviews, and influencers. In a hyper-informed consumer age, strategic integration becomes paramount.

Influencer Corner 📣

Performance Pulse 📈

AI INNOVATION

Google plans to monetize its Gemini AI platform by introducing native ad concepts, balancing free and paid options, and enhancing user experiences. Competing with ChatGPT, Gemini powers search features globally and expands commercial opportunities, predicting significant search innovation by 2025 with advanced AI use cases, including Project Mariner and Astra.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Threads is emerging as a top choice for brands, with 57% of marketers already active and others planning to join. The platform's promise of engaging ads akin to organic content attracts brands aiming for authenticity. Influencer marketing thrives, with substantial returns on investment outperforming organic strategies.

SOCIAL COMMERCE INNOVATIONS

TikTok Shop has transformed social media shopping by integrating commerce with entertainment. The potential platform ban prompts brands to diversify their marketing strategies and explore alternatives like Meta and YouTube. Live shopping, especially creator-driven commerce, emerges as a crucial trend. Industry shifts demand adaptive strategies for brands.

Influencer Marketing

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