TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Stationery Isn't Stationary: Just Follow The Paper Trail

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 7, 2008

E-mail. Text messaging. Flash drives. BlackBerrys. Blogs. Bluetooths. ... Pen and paper?

With Cupid's annual rite of beaus and arrows winging this way, perhaps all the electronic gadgets we use for communication can't hit the bull's eye as romantically as the simple, elegant medium of pen on paper. Which, surprisingly, is doing just fine.

Sales of stationery are strong, particularly among the 25-to-34-year-old crowd.

The fact that people really don't need paper to communicate these days actually enhances its appeal, Unity Marketing president Pam Danziger says. "What's happening is that paper is becoming a luxury," she said. "Twenty years ago, it wasn't a luxury. But it's no longer a necessity. It's for people who are in the know, who enjoy the finer things."

BayLife, Page 1

•According to a 2007 study by Unity Marketing, that 25-to-34 demographic buys most of the stationery products in this country (51 percent).

•Like wine and pet food, paper has developed a high-end niche market.

•"It's a little more romantic to write something I've been feeling rather than just say it on a phone or in an e-mail," said Tom Rothery, 33.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT