Study Finds Booming Scrapbooking Hobby

Posted on July 11, 2003

A new research study report from Unity Marketing entitled Stationery & Greeting Card Report, 2003: The Market, The Competitors, The Future Trends, found that "connecting" is the next major trend in the $14 billion stationery and greeting card market. The connecting trend relates to consumers' need to reach out and communicate meaningfully with others, using everything from electronic networked communications to paper greeting cards to the ultimate expression of luxury communication today, the handwritten note on hand-laid paper.

"Consumer trends reflect the emotions of the times, and our time is all about reconnecting to the outside world after spending the past decade wrapped up in our personal 'cocoons,'" said luxury marketing expert Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of the study.

"The consumer psychology of the 90's gave rise to conspicuous consumption and a passion for collecting more and more stuff to fill up our 'nests.' In the new millennium, however, consumers are focusing on enhancing their relationships with others. So the collecting frenzy of the 90's morphs into a passion for creatively collecting and sharing one's memories through scrapbooking."

Scrapbooking is booming. Scrapbooking is a new consumer passion that is just emerging on the horizon. With a sales jump of 29% in 2002, scrapbooking is the fastest growing segment in the stationery market with $1.2 billion in consumer sales.

Despite vibrant growth, the scrapbooking market has only begun to hint at its full potential. Today only 20% of adult consumers have purchased scrapbooking supplies in the past year, trailing behind the 67% of consumer who bought greeting cards; 61% who bought gift bags and wraps; 44% who bought calendars; and 37% who bought boxed greetings, notes and invitations.

"Scrapbooking is a hobby that uniquely fits our stressful post 9-11 era. It creatively connects families with their past, present and future. Its appeal crosses generations, genders and age ranges. Key to the future success of the scrapbooking market will be its ability to make the quantum leap from the niche-focused craft market into the mass-market realm. The Michael's craft chain just opened the first of a chain of stores devoted to scrapbooking, called Recollections. This launch may broaden exposure beyond the traditional crafting market and bring scrapbooking into the main stream where it will really blossom," Danziger said.

Today with all the major greeting card brands, like Hallmark and American Greetings, firmly entrenched in discount channels selling greeting cards in the 99 cents or under price range, the industry has sunk to the bottom of the pricing spectrum and little future growth will be achieved at these depths. But the luxury realm of specialty paper, including hand-made paper cards, specialty stationery, books and journals along with luxury writing implements, offers marketers a significant growth opportunities.

"Writing and receiving a beautiful hand written note is the ultimate expression of luxury communication. The New York specialty store, Kate's Paperie, which offers a selection of over 4,000 luxury paper products, perfectly reflects the trend toward luxury stationery and personal connecting in the market today," Danziger said.

The Stationery & Greeting Card Report, 2003 report is available from Unity Marketing for $1,995. Founded in 1992, Unity Marketing is a market research and consulting firm that specializes in consumer insights for luxury marketers. Using its proprietary 'why people buy' research strategy, Pam Danziger, company founder and author of Why People Buy Things They Don't Need (Ithaca, NY: Paramount Market Publishing, 2002), uncovers the motivations, desires and emotional needs that drive consumers to buy. Unity also publishes market research studies on the luxury market, jewelry, garden, home furnishings, gifts and collectibles, personal care and cosmetics markets, as well as the Luxury Business newsletter. Pam is currently working on her new book, Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses (as well as the Classes), to be published in early 2004.