The number of businesses in German office supply and stationery retail has been declining year after year, as can be clearly seen in this graph. While in 2002 there were close to 8,000 businesses, in 2021 numbers had dropped to less than 4,000.
On paper
Office supply and stationery retail developments are being influenced by a number of factors, the leading one being perhaps the widespread and successful rise of e-commerce and as a consequence the growing global popularity of online shopping among consumers. True, online sales of office and stationery products in Germany still only make up a small share of the total and may need some time to grow. These goods are easy to buy physically and are also available not just in specialized shops, but in supermarkets and drugstores, to name just a few examples. German consumer spending on store-bought stationery has not increased significantly, compared to other European countries.
Amazon in the lead
The most popular online store in the hobby and stationery segment in Germany was by far Amazon. Trends therefore point towards stationery purchasing not exclusively in shops focusing on specifically those products, whether online or offline, but from larger retailers selling a wide variety of products.
Number of businesses in office supply and stationery retail trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021
Companies with an annual revenue of at least 22,000 euros (until 2019: 17,500 euros; before 2003: 16,620 euros). Figures for previous years are based on earlier source reports. Figures from 2009 are based on a new classification of economic sectors. They can therefore be only partially compared to those for previous years. To access this statistic, click the web link and type the code "73311-0002" into the search bar. Stationery, office and school supplies retail is filed under the label WZ08-47622.
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Statistisches Bundesamt. (March 24, 2023). Number of businesses in office supply and stationery retail trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 20, 2024, from https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/500176/office-and-stationery-retailers-germany/
Statistisches Bundesamt. "Number of businesses in office supply and stationery retail trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021." Chart. March 24, 2023. Statista. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/500176/office-and-stationery-retailers-germany/
Statistisches Bundesamt. (2023). Number of businesses in office supply and stationery retail trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 20, 2024. https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/500176/office-and-stationery-retailers-germany/
Statistisches Bundesamt. "Number of Businesses in Office Supply and Stationery Retail Trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 24 Mar 2023, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/500176/office-and-stationery-retailers-germany/
Statistisches Bundesamt, Number of businesses in office supply and stationery retail trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021 Statista, https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/500176/office-and-stationery-retailers-germany/ (last visited September 20, 2024)
Number of businesses in office supply and stationery retail trade in Germany from 2002 to 2021 [Graph], Statistisches Bundesamt, March 24, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www-statista-com.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/statistics/500176/office-and-stationery-retailers-germany/