The recent entrance of US giant Wal-Mart into the UK has once again raised the stakes within the retail stationery market. Stationery products - usually seen by many retailers as opportunities to claw back margin lost on food sales - are now subject to severe price competition.

Furthermore, there are a number of other factors which are driving the retail stationery market into the 21st century:

• An ageing UK population
• The increasing penetration of PCs and Internet access within UK households
• The decline in social mailing
• The continued targeting of the domestic sector by commercial stationery channels

The UK Retail Stationery Market - a new MPA survey published specifically for companies with an interest in this important sector - considers all these developments, and gives an independent view of how they affect the supply of and demand for stationery and other office supplies in the retail market, both now and in the future.

MPA's research methodology is unique and comprehensive in that we collect data from all the channels involved in the supply chain, such as:

• Manufacturers
• High Street Retailers
• Retail Wholesalers

MPA's research methodology cross-verifies the data collected from all of these sources to produce accurate calculations of market value and the shares of both manufacturers and distributors.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

1.2 OBJECTIVES

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.3.1 Base Year

1.3.2 Region

1.3.3 Product Groups

1.4 METHODOLOGY

1.4.1 Desk Research

1.4.2 Manufacturer and Distributor Interviews

1.4.3 Analysis and Reporting

1.5 DEFINITIONS

2. ECONOMIC BACKGROUND

2.1 BASIC ECONOMIC INDICATORS

2.2 COMMENTARY

2.2.1 Overview

2.2.2 GDP

2.2.3 Average Earnings

2.2.4 RPI

2.2.5 Household Disposable Income

2.2.6 Private Consumption

3. CONSUMER MARKET TRENDS

3.1 INTRODUCTION

3.2 UK POPULATION TRENDS

3.3 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE

3.4 WORK TIME TRENDS

3.5 COMPUTING AND THE INTERNET

3.6 TRENDS IN STATIONERY PURCHASING

4. RETAIL STATIONERY MARKET VALUE

5. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS & TRENDS

5.1 INTRODUCTION

5.2 CHANNEL SHARES

5.3 COMPARISON STORES

5.3.1 Overview

5.3.2 WH Smith

5.3.3 Woolworths

5.3.4 Boots

5.4 DEPARTMENT STORES

5.5 HIGH STREET STATIONERY SPECIALISTS

5.5.1 Overview

5.5.2 Partners

5.5.3 Stationery Box

5.5.4 Ryman

5.6 GROCERY MULTIPLES

5.6.1 Overview

5.6.2 Asda

5.6.3 Tesco

5.6.4 Sainsbury

5.6.5 Wilkinson

5.7 DRUG STORES

5.8 MASS MARKET RETAILERS

5.9 CONSUMER ELECTRICS RETAILERS

5.10 CTNS

5.10.1 Overview

5.10.2 Multiple CTNs

5.11 CONVENIENCE STORES

5.12 POST OFFICES AND VILLAGE STORES

5.13 GARAGE FORECOURT SHOPS

5.14 DOMESTIC STATIONERY WHOLESALERS

5.14.1 Overview

5.14.2 Club Group

5.14.3 Premier Group

5.14.4 Impact Distribution Group

5.15 CASH AND CARRIES

5.15.1 Overview

5.15.2 Booker

5.15.3 Makro

5.15.4 Bestway

5.15.5 Batleys

5.16 NON-FOOD BROKERS

5.17 SERVICE MERCHANDISERS

6. KEY PRODUCT SECTOR OVERVIEWS

6.1 INTRODUCTION

6.2 SOCIAL STATIONERY

6.2.1 Introduction

6.2.2 Market Size & Growth

6.2.3 Manufacturers

6.2.4 Distribution

6.2.5 Market Forecast

6.3 WRITING INSTRUMENTS

6.3.1 Introduction

6.3.2 Market Size & Growth

6.3.3 Manufacturers

6.3.4 Distribution

6.3.5 Market Forecast

6.4 DIARIES & CALENDARS

6.4.1 Introduction

6.4.2 Market Size & Growth

Stock Diaries

Stock Calendars

6.4.3 Manufacturers

Diaries

Calendars

6.4.4 Distribution

6.4.5 Market Forecast

7. THE FUTURE

7.1 THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT

7.2 RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

TABLE OF TABLES

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

1.2 OBJECTIVES

1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

1.4 METHODOLOGY

1.5 DEFINITIONS

Report Abbreviations & Terms

2. ECONOMIC BACKGROUND

2.1 BASIC ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Basic Economic Indicators & Forecasts at October 2000 (% Change)

2.2 COMMENTARY

3. CONSUMER MARKET TRENDS

3.1 INTRODUCTION

3.2 UK POPULATION TRENDS

Current and Future Age Distribution of the Resident Population 1998-2004 (000s)

Population Trends By Age Bracket As % of Total Population 1999-2004 (%)

Regional Distribution Of UK Population 1997-1999

3.3 HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE

Average Weekly Household Expenditure 1995-1999 (Ј)

3.4 WORK TIME TRENDS

UK Labour Trends 1997-1999 (000s)

Average Actual Weekly Hours Of Work In UK 1995-1999

3.5 COMPUTING AND THE INTERNET

Domestic Computer Penetration 1989-98*

Households With Home Access To The Internet In UK By 1998-1999

3.6 TRENDS IN STATIONERY PURCHASING

4. RETAIL STATIONERY MARKET VALUE

Retail Channel Sales Of Stationery & Office Products By Major Product Group 1999 (Јm at UBP)

5. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS & TRENDS

5.1 INTRODUCTION

5.2 CHANNEL SHARES

Stationery and Office Products Sales by Retail Outlets* 1999 (Јm at UBP)

5.3 COMPARISON STORES

Major UK Comparison Stores 1999

5.4 DEPARTMENT STORES

5.5 HIGH STREET STATIONERY SPECIALISTS

Major High Street Stationery Specialists 1999

5.6 GROCERY MULTIPLES

Major Grocery Multiples 1999

Top Multiples: Average Store Area 1995-1998 (square feet)

5.7 DRUG STORES

5.8 MASS MARKET RETAILERS

5.9 CONSUMER ELECTRICS RETAILERS

5.10 CTNS

Number of CTNs by Ownership Category 1995-1999

Total Sales Through CTNs (Јm at UBP) 1995-1999

CTN Sales By Product Group 1999 (Јm at UBP)

Product

% of Sales

Sales Value

Multiple CTNs 1999

5.11 CONVENIENCE STORES

Major Convenience Store Outlets 1999

5.12 POST OFFICES AND VILLAGE STORES

5.13 GARAGE FORECOURT SHOPS

Garage Forecourts in UK 1999

5.14 DOMESTIC STATIONERY WHOLESALERS

Wholesaler Buying Groups 1997-1999

5.15 CASH AND CARRIES

Major Cash and Carry Traders 1999

5.16 NON-FOOD BROKERS

5.17 SERVICE MERCHANDISERS

6. KEY PRODUCT SECTOR OVERVIEWS

6.1 INTRODUCTION

6.2 SOCIAL STATIONERY

The UK Social Stationery Market 1997-1999 (Јm At MSP)

Major Manufacturers Of Social Stationery Supplying The UK Market 1999

The UK Social Stationery Market 1999-2004 (Јm At MSP: Constant 1999 Prices)

6.3 WRITING INSTRUMENTS

The UK Writing & Graphic Supplies Market 1997-1999 (Јm At MSP)

Major Manufacturers Of Writing & Graphic Supplies Supplying The UK Market 1999

The UK Writing & Graphic Supplies Market 1999-2004 (Јm At MSP: Constant 1999 Prices)

6.4 DIARIES & CALENDARS

The UK Stock Diaries & Calendars Market 1997-1999 (Јm At MSP)

The UK Stock Diaries & Calendars Market 1999-2004 (Јm At MSP: Constant 1999 Prices)

7. THE FUTURE

7.1 THE DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT

Population Trends By Age Bracket As % of Total Population 1999-2004

7.2 RETAIL DISTRIBUTION