Flourishing Italian premium stationery firms go high-tech and expand in China
At a time when electronic forms of communication are taking over, the number of premium stationery boutiques is growing in China, catering to those consumers looking for sophisticated products that spell tradition and refinement.
The transformation of stationery products from practical tools to lifestyle accessories is opening up a new world of opportunity for high-end foreign stationery firms in China.
For instance, Campo Marzio, which started as a small family-owned leather goods shop in central Rome in 1933, is now known for its soft Italian leatherette business accessories in bold colors and sophisticated writing instruments with scented inks.
The Italian stationer entered China in 2005 with a flagship store and an office in Hong Kong.
"If ten years ago someone had told me we would have a great experience in China, I wouldn't have believed it," explained Roberto Di Giorgio, managing director of Campo Marzio. "However, in the last 10 years, China has become our priority market."
Last year, the premium stationer registered annual retail sales of 30 million yuan ($4.6 million), reflecting a strong appetite for the brand in the country.
Campo Marzio, which already has 20 stores in China's largest cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an expects to open this year an additional 20 retail stores and special boutique kiosks across China.
The expansion of its brick-and-mortar stores will be complemented by an online store to be launched in September, a strategy that is expected to increase the company's sales in China by 30 percent this year.
For Di Giorgio, the success of the brand in China reflects that Chinese consumers are becoming less brand-conscious and are opting for craft products with a personal touch instead.
"China is a very special market because clients want very high-quality products with a unique design," explained Di Giorgio. "Chinese love culture and calligraphy. China is one of the few places in the world where fountain pens sell better than ballpoint and roller pens, which means that Chinese know the pleasures of writing."
Nonetheless, because high-end stationery firms are aware that the use of electronic media is affecting the way we communicate and the writing materials we use, Campo Marzio will introduce a new line of pens that can be used to both write on paper and to register messages on a computer or smartphone, allowing users to always have a digital and a physical copy of their writing.
