SHOPA 2001 stages product and solidarity - School, Home and Office Products Association - Brief Article

DSN Retailing Today, Dec 10, 2001 by Molly Prior

MIAMI BEACH, FLA. -- Show attendance across all categories may not be stellar, and the mood among vendors may hint at trepidation, but a common theme is emerging at many trade events in the wake of Sept. 11: Now's the time to show support for the industry.

At the 11th annual International SHOPA Show in Miami Beach, Fla., earlier this fall, buyers and exhibitors from across the globe rallied behind SHOPA president Steve Jacober, who applauded them for "[choosing] to invest in the business of our future in spite of the economy and national tragedy"

Figures from the School, Home & Office Products Association indicate $300.0 billion was spent on school and office products in 2000, which represents roughly a 7% to 8% increase over 1999. SHOPA expects this rate to carry over to this year as well as next, and foresees the market reaching $394.0 billion by the end of 2004.

"History has shown that when there's a recession, spending rebounds stronger than ever," Jacober told DSN Retailing Today prior to the show. "We are seeing increasing growth in the home office segment and continued growth in the school sector with enrollments on the rise. All this points to increased growth for our industry."

Show exhibitors are doing their part to fuel industry growth by unveiling innovative redesigns and product for 2002. A bright color palate of purple, lime green, aqua and orange dominated exhibitors' new and updated product lines.

Swingline, a division of ACCO Brands, has expanded its color scheme past its traditional blue and red to reflect trends in the fashion and automotives industry.

The new Singline Fashion Stapler comes in three two-tone translucent schemes: blue and gray, purple and pink, and teal and yellow.

In pens, these bold colors, as well as metallics, replaced milky pastels. BIC's newly launched Z4 Free-Ink Roller pens mirror this color palate and are available in royal blue, lime green, purple and orange, as well as traditional colors like black and red. BIC also extended its Gel Intensity line for back-to-school with extras like shimmering "moonscape" or bubbling "meteor" foam grips and metallic ink. Pilot followed suit by adding "radioactive" metallic colors--including Cobalt, Chromium, Krypton and Rubidium--to its new Q7 Retractable Gel Ink line.

Like the bold new colors, a plethora of hot licenses, such as Harry Potter, Monsters Inc., Bob the Builder and Bratz, decorated products at the show. Mead has expanded its licensed portfolio with Disney Consumer Products as a result of its acquisition of Pentab last January.

The 2002 back-to-school lineup includes Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear and the Disney Princesses. Mead marketing manager Mike Tims stated the Disney characters appeal to a target market of approximately 40 million children under 9 years old in the United States. Mead will continue with other licenses in its portfolio for back-to-school, such as M&M's brand, Garfield and Harry Potter.

After a lackluster back-to-school season, several vendors, such as Crayola, are working to expand the consumption of school product year-round to even out the back-to-school sales spike. Crayola is pursing a seasonal approach with its Easter; summer travel, back-to-school, Halloween and holiday lines. This past Halloween, Crayola rolled out its treat packs, 20 packs of three crayons, as a substitute for candy Spring products include Easter basket stuffers, such as pastel sidewalk chalk in the shape of Easter eggs and bunnies.

Binney & Smith, the maker of Crayola, is hoping to write a new success story with inkTANK, its first entry into the adult marker category. Tom Tominac, senior manager of new product development, said inkTANK, a product of 5,000 hours of consumer research, will ignite enthusiasm in the $800.0 million adult marker market, a market dominated by Sharpie. The new inkTANK line, set to roll out in March 2002, includes roller ball pens, permanent markers, highlighters and dry erase products.

The show was a first for newcomers to the school and office supplies industry, such as Wisconsin Lighting Inc. The lamp manufacturer was approached by Target two years ago to create stationery similar to the parchment paper used for its lampshades. Wisconsin Lighting has since expanded from note cards to gift bags, journals and rice tissue paper.

Echoing Jacober's patriotic sentiment, exhibitors filled their booths with a slew of flag merchandise, ranging from candles and calendars to basic office supplies such as rubber bands.