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paperworld
2012
Paperworld 2012 was short on innovation, but there
was still much to admire. James Goulding reports
2011 was a difficult year for stationery
suppliers. According to KeyNote’s
four-year analysis,
Stationery (Personal
& Office)
, the UK market was worth
£1.01 billion at manufacturers’ selling
prices last year, down from £1.48
billion in 2008. Keynote is predicting
continued decline over the next four
years to a market value of £985 million
in 2016.
The reasons for falling demand for
stationery products are obvious, ranging
from the impact of IT and greener
lifestyles to Government cut-backs and
the recession/weak recovery. These trends
are most apparent in the paper and
board sector, which has declined by more
than one third in the last four years as
businesses adopt electronic alternatives
to letters, forms and hard copies.
In response, suppliers have invested
in eye-catching, colourful designs,
particularly in the notebook and writing
instruments markets, both of which have
moved ever closer to the gifting sector.
These trends were much in evidence at
Paperworld 2012, especially in the pen
hall, which is now almost exclusively
consumer-focused.
What was largely lacking this year,
however, was the sense of innovation that
has been such a feature of Paperworld
in previous years. Having already
introduced recycled or green options,
products with anti-bacterial coatings
and premium products with attractive
designs and features, the industry seems
to have exhausted its possibilities and
is unsure where to find new growth. The
big question is whether this represents
a fundamental weakness or merely a
breathing space while innovations from
previous years are assimilated.
Shredders
Typical were shredder suppliers, such as
Fellowes, Dahle, Martin Yale International
and HSM. After several years of non-
stop product innovation that brought us
anti-jam technology and auto cut-off
safety features, this year’s exhibits merely
offered more of the same.
True, innovations from previous years
are still being rolled out across the range
and there is some tinkering at the edges –
Dahle shredders now shred into re-usable
bins rather than bags and HSM shredders
can be retro-fitted with automatic oiling
systems – but there was nothing new
from these manufacturers to raise the
pulse.
Demonstrating its lack of ideas, Krug &
Priester was showing a design concept in
which a stylised shredder was enhanced
with an iPhone docking unit.
But innovation has not completely run
its course. Following the lead of Acco (not
present at Paperworld), Italian shredder
company Elcoman was showing a range
of auto-feed shredders that enable users
to place a pile of paper in the top of the
machine and walk away while they are
shredded. A separate slot means that the
shredder can still be used by walk-up
users, while the option of a lockable lid
ensures that sensitive documents can’t be
removed before they are destroyed.
The Kobra TS-AF range is state-of-the-
art in other respects, too, with touch-
screen controls with coloured LED lights;
self-oiling technology; a power-saving
standby mode; separate waste collection
for shredded CDs and paper; and metal
detection for identifying metal clips that
could damage the cutting heads.
Auto-feed shredders are potentially a
great time-saver and a real convenience
review
continued...