The "Pop Mart" of Stationery Stores: When Elementary School Students Start Paying for "Emotions"
Summary of Key Points
This article reveals a seemingly absurd yet logically sound business phenomenon: traditional stationery stores are undergoing a profound transformation, evolving from functional stores that simply sell learning tools into places for emotional consumption, offering IP merchandise, blind boxes, and social currencies.
The article points out that due to the declining birth rate in China, the number of students is decreasing, posing growth challenges for leading stationery companies such as Chen Guang, Deli, and Guang Bo. To overcome this, these companies have shifted their focus from selling pens and erasers to introducing popular IPs (such as Sanrio, Ultraman, and game characters) and adopting the "blind box + collection + social" model commonly seen in the toy and gaming industries. As a result, stationery items have become more like collectibles (known as "gu zi" in Chinese), with increased prices and the added value of being exchangeable and desirable.
For elementary school students, stationery stores have become not only places to buy items but also a first classroom for "financial education" and "social enlightenment." By purchasing branded stationery and cards, students learn about making choices, comparing prices, and practicing delayed gratification; they even use rare cards to establish social status. Essentially, the stationery industry has shifted from selling functionality to selling happiness and social currency.
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Detailed Analysis
1. Observing the Phenomenon: Entering a Stationery Store, It's Like Walking into a "Mickey Mouse Wonderland"
If you were to visit a stationery store near a school today, you might feel a strong sense of time and space distortion:
In the past:
Upon entering, the most prominent items were gel pens, exercise books, and correction tapes, neatly arranged by brand or function. Your purpose was clear: buy what you needed and leave quickly, focusing on value for money.
Today:
The main displays are filled with plush toys, acrylic badges, and transparent cards. The checkout counter is surrounded by blind boxes and cards, while pens and exercise books have been pushed to the corners and are only easily found with some effort.
Key Changes:
- Visual Impact: The store's decoration and layout mimic those of trendy toy stores (like Pop Mart) or anime and gaming merchandise shops, with bright colors and prominent IP themes, creating an atmosphere of cuteness and scarcity.
- Product Transformation: The functionality of the stationery has been downplayed, while its decorative and collectible aspects have been emphasized. A pen is no longer just a writing tool but a toy with additional features like "sand" or a "shaking feature" and limited-edition characters.
- Target Audience Shift: Although the store still sells stationery, it is the popular collectibles (gu zi) that truly attract elementary school students. Adults may find this confusing, but for the students, these items are familiar and represent their favorite cultures.
2. The Business Logic: The Survival Struggle of Stationery Giants
Why are stationery stores changing in this way? It's not a whim of the manufacturers but a result of the industry's survival pressures:
Background: The demographic dividend is disappearing. The number of elementary and middle school students in China is declining, ending the era of easy profits based on large numbers. Chen Guang has stated in its financial reports that the growth boost from a large customer base is no longer available, and the company must rely on "consumption upgrades" and "product improvements" to maintain profits.
Strategies: From Selling Functionality to Selling Emotions
- IP Collaborations: Stationery manufacturers have found that adding popular IPs (such as Miffy, Pokémon, Sanrio, and Egg Baby Party) to their products can double prices while increasing sales, demonstrating that appearance can be a powerful selling factor.
- Adopting Toy and Gaming Practices:
- Blind Box Mechanisms: Stationery is now sold with a blind box component, creating the desire to "try again."
- Series Collectibles: An IP might release 6-10 characters, encouraging children to buy repeatedly to complete the collection.
- Scarcity Marketing: Limited-edition items and rare cards create a sense of pride when owned.
- Channel Expansion: Stationery giants are expanding beyond school gates, entering shopping malls, toy stores, and bookstores to integrate into the lifestyles of younger consumers.
Essence: The stationery industry is becoming part of the broader cultural and creative industry, moving beyond being just a supplier of tools to a provider of emotional value.
3. Consumer Psychology: Why Do Elementary School Students Spend So Much?
Adults may find it expensive for a pen to cost dozens of yuan, but for students, it's worth it. This is driven by complex psychological factors:
A. Social Currency:
- Cards as Status: During breaks, those who get rare cards become the "influencers." Repeated cards can be exchanged, and scarce cards can be traded, similar to adults trading limited-edition sneakers or collectibles, serving as a form of identity and social entry.
- Common Language: Owning the same IP merchandise is the fastest way to join a peer group; otherwise, one might feel excluded from conversations.
B. The Desire to Collect and the Thrill of Uncertainty:
- The Blind Box Effect: The uncertainty of what's inside a box stimulates dopamine release. Even if a duplicate card is obtained, it can still be resold or exchanged, reducing the risk of making a bad purchase.
- The Compulsion to Complete a Set: The desire to collect a full set drives continuous consumption.
C. Self-Expression and Personalization:
- Elementary school students are becoming more individualistic. They want their stationery to be unique, reflecting their preferences and personality. A pen bag with a favorite character provides more satisfaction than just durability.
- The "Micro-Consumption" Trap of Pocket Money: Items are priced reasonably (tens to twenty yuan), within the range of their pocket money. However, frequent and varied purchases add up quickly. A parent might give 10 yuan for a pen, but the child could spend it on three badges and a pack of cards.
4. Historical Comparisons: From "Xiaohuanxiong Water Margin Cards" to "Ultraman Cards"
This phenomenon is not new but a repetition of historical trends:
20 Years Ago:
- Medium: Water Margin cards inside Xiaohuanxiong instant noodles.
- Play: Draw cards while eating noodles; rare cards (like Zhang Fei) could be traded at high prices.
- Social Interaction: Students exchanged cards and formed an underground trading market.
- Stationery: Mickey Mouse-themed stationery boxes, password notebooks, scented erasers.
20 Years Later:
- Medium: Cards and merchandise from Ultraman, anime, and games.
- Play: Blind boxes, card draws, collectible trading, and secondary market transactions.
- Social Interaction: Exchanging rare cards, showing off limited-edition items, and boasting in class.
- Stationery: IP-branded pens, blind box erasers, and themed pen bags.
Unchanged Essence:
- Children's enthusiasm for non-essential items remains unchanged: They are always willing to pay for "happiness," "social interaction," and "collectibles," not just functionality.
- Stationery stores have always been happiness machines: They sell not just pens but memories of childhood, social status, and a touch of luxury.
Changes:
- IPs Have Become More Professional and Global: From local animations to global favorites like Sanrio and Pokémon.
- Play Styles Have Become More Complex and Commercial: Mature toy and gaming industry models (blind boxes, hidden items, secondary markets) have been adopted.
- The Industry Chain Has Matured: Stationery giants are directly involved in cultural and creative products, with broader channels and more targeted marketing.
5. Deep Insights: The Stationery Store as the "First Financial Lesson in Life"
The article highlights that the stationery store is more than a place to buy items; it's a "social university" for elementary school students:
1. Learning about Choices and Budgeting:
- With limited pocket money, children must choose between buying cool rulers and snacks. They learn to delay gratification and save for a more expensive item.
- They learn to compare prices and consider the potential value of investments (which cards might appreciate in the future).
- Learning Social Rules: Through card exchanges, they learn negotiation, compromise, and fair trade.
- They understand the source of status and influence through the display of rare items.
- They begin to grasp the multi-dimensional nature of value, recognizing that items have value not only in their functionality but also in their appearance, scarcity, happiness, and social recognition.
Implications for Parents and Adults:
- Don't Simply Deny: Children buying seemingly useless stationery may be buying happiness and social connections. Forcing them to stop might lead to rebellion; it's better to guide them towards rational consumption.
- Understand Generational Differences: Adults value practicality, while children value experiences and social interaction. There's no right or wrong; it's just a matter of stage.
- Be Cautious of Excessive Consumption: Although individual purchases are small, frequent buying can add up quickly. Parents should help children set budgets and distinguish between needs and wants.
Conclusion
The transformation of stationery stores reflects China's economic restructuring, demographic changes, consumption upgrades, and the shifting consumer habits of the Z and Alpha generations.
It shows that future consumer products must offer emotional and social value to attract the younger generation. Stationery is no longer just a tool but a carrier of childhood memories, social relationships, and self-expression.
For parents, instead of complaining about children's spending, it's worth visiting these stores to see the world through their eyes. There, you'll find their true happiness, primal social desires, and their initial understanding of value. This understanding is often more valuable than any preaching.