Page 28 - BOSS Today Issue 12

Research

SeArch for quAlity

booStS vAlueS

A trend among consumers to look for quality even at a higher price
helped to offset declining sales in 2011, data suggests

7 per cent fall in volume sales sales values did manage to rise by
A across all writing instruments as much as 6 per cent. This rise,
in 2011 was offset by customers which GFK believes underlines the
focusing more on brands and not channel’s stability, helped to reduce
necessarily always going for the what would have been a 4 per
cheapest option, new data from cent decline in overall business-
market research consultancy GFK to-business sales values when not
suggests. including ballpoint pens to just
This trend helped to ensure 1 per cent if you do include the
that value sales across the year fell category.
by only 2 per cent, and in some Andrew Walsh, account manager
categories actually rose. at GFK Retail and Technology
Rollerballs, for example, the UK, said: “Overall, the writing
second largest writing instrument instruments market product
category, saw overall sales values groups have experienced some
rise by 4 per cent, helped in good level of value decline, with pieces
part by an increase of 11 per cent decline being more severe. But
in the item’s average selling price this indicates that consumers are
(ASP). now actually spending more per
Adhesive tapes too, saw sales piece than before. That shows that
values rise overall by 2 per cent just as consumers are still looking for good
sales volumes declined by the same value in the product. Customers
amount. The average selling price in are rationalising their purchases by
that category rose by 4 per cent. Sales volumes, however, declined in the biggest writing instrument buying smaller pack sizes and not
The total colouring market, by 8 per cent. category, ballpoint pens. It saw necessarily going for the cheapest
driven by crayons and colour felt The rise in ASPs and trend volumes decline by 1 per cent and products on the market.”
pens, also grew by 1 per cent in towards brands wasn’t strong values tumble by 5 per cent.
value, bringing the category to a enough, however, to offset a However within the business- n For more inFormation
total UK market value of £25.3m. decline in both volume and value to-business channel ballpoint visit www.gfkrt.com/uk.

fact: Price increase compensates for decline in volume sales

total Writing instrument market experiences value growth
across a number of product groups.

total Writing instruments (tWi) declined by -7% in volume sales*, yet the sales value only
declined by -2%, valuing the market at £205 million in 2011. irrespective of the value
decline, the market still experienced growth across various product groups in 2011.

Data courtesy of GFK, www.gfkrt.com/uk, the providers of the BOSS Market Tracking service. For further
28 BOSS TODAY | May/June 2012 information please visit www.bossfederation.co.uk and click on the Market Tracking Service page.

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