A neutral pen 55 yuan, an automatic pencil 48 yuan, a pencil sharpener 250 yuan ...... golden autumn October, those ordinary-looking, expensive imported "stationery assassin" into China's major stationery market, become the new favorite of many consumers.

Recently, the China Trade Daily reporter came to a Japanese imported stationery store located in Beijing's Chaoyang District, various styles and colors of pens, books, erasers, tape, seals and other stationery filled the rows of shelves. Take a neutral pen for example, the price of a domestic neutral pen is mostly between 1 yuan and 3 yuan, while a Japanese brand neutral pen often starts at 5 yuan, and colored neutral pens are priced at about 8 yuan to 10 yuan. The reporter noted that the price of an imported low-gravity automatic pencil reached 48 yuan, and the price of relatively cheap automatic pencils also ranged from 20 to 30 yuan. The customers around the shelf for selection were mainly young people. Mr. Yang said to reporters: "I bought 10 yuan of Japanese imports of black neutral pen, write more smoothly, but as an ordinary pen without other additional features or slightly higher price. Of course, domestic stationery also has many good products, but the overall mix of fish and dragons, need to spend time and effort to pick."

With the Japanese handbook culture has taken China by storm in recent years, from elementary school students to office workers, white-collar have "pit" handbook. Handbook originally refers to the book used to remember things, and later gradually derived from the color pen drawing, text records, and tape, stickers collage layout of handmade works. The rise of the handbook culture has led to the growth of consumer demand for neutral pens, colored pens, paints, tapes, stickers and many other stationery. Ms. He, a veteran handbook enthusiast, told reporters, "The materials I need to make handbooks will give priority to imported products, mainly Japanese brands. Although the price of Japanese stationery is a little higher than domestic, but the sense of use is better, but also more durable. European products are more professional, the price is higher compared to Japanese brands."

Like Ms. He such enthusiasts and consumers, not a few. Little red book on "Japanese stationery" notes reached more than 40,000, Zebra, Kokuyo, Paitong and other Japanese brands of stationery related notes are more than 30,000, Baile related notes even reached 120,000.

According to Chinese customs data, from January to August this year, China's pen stationery imports amounted to 1.394 billion yuan. Among them, the pen stationery imported from Japan accounted for nearly 60% of the total stationery imports, with imports of more than 845 million yuan.

Why the high price of Japanese stationery, but still favored by many consumers? A foreign student in Japan told reporters that most Japanese stationery is beautifully made, quality control and stability, good sense of use, technology and excellence in the production process support. In addition, Japanese companies are very good at marketing, often launched with a good meaning of the co-branded models, limited models, such as Conan co-branded models stationery and Kulomi co-branded models stationery.

"In contrast, although our modern stationery industry started late, but the speed of development is faster, the industry has achieved remarkable development." Yi Aijun, associate professor at Jiangsu Ocean University Business School, believes that, on the one hand, the scale of China's stationery industry continues to expand, and the number of enterprises above the scale continues to increase. On the other hand, China's stationery industry started from simple OEM production and imitation, with the development of the industry, many enterprises gradually strengthen the investment in technology research and development, and the gap between leading foreign enterprises continue to narrow, some product technology and even reach the global leading level.

According to the sky-eye data, China currently has more than 7.04 million stationery-related enterprises. 2012, stationery-related enterprises (all enterprise status) annual registration growth rate rose year by year, of which, 2021 annual registration of more than 2.14 million enterprises, the annual registration growth rate of 39.35%, the highest in history. As of August 30, this year, more than 1.76 million stationery-related enterprises have been registered and established.

As a stationery company established in 1996, Mr. Wang of Ningbo Tianhong Stationery Co., Ltd. said: "Today, Chinese stationery exporters are difficult to continue the competitive advantage of low prices, which is not the direction of long-term development of enterprises. Only efforts to explore new development paths, and foreign companies continue to integrate to further enhance the quality of Chinese stationery products and business competitiveness."

In terms of product design, to meet the rise in recent years, the "national trend" culture, China's major stationery manufacturers have designed and manufactured both traditional Chinese cultural elements, but also the integration of modern trends in stationery products, by the majority of consumers praise. For example, Chenmuang stationery launched the "Confucius Temple Prayer" series of stationery, not only good sense of use, but also loved by the majority of students, many candidates to participate in the examination, entrance examinations and other important examinations will buy "Confucius Temple Prayer" stationery.

For Chinese stationery export enterprises, Yi Aijun suggested that, first, increase the research and development of products, focus on improving product quality, and gradually get rid of the core technology depends on imported state, based on product quality, product positioning, to create consumer satisfaction in high-end stationery products. Second, enhance the ability of product innovation, innovation is the source of enterprise development, can be combined with traditional Chinese cultural elements, to create a Chinese style elements of the "national trend" products. At the same time from the needs of consumers, to Japan and other mature stationery market to learn, and constantly launch creative products.