China-chic stationery writes its way into global markets

As the back-to-school season kicks off, the streets of East China's Zhejiang province have come alive with shops brimming with colorful stationery.

Their vibrant hues and intricate designs catch the eye of passersby, reflecting the growing "China-chic" stationery trend that has been grabbing attention around the world.

This unique blend of traditional Chinese elements and modern designs has not only captured the hearts of domestic consumers but has also become a new favorite among international buyers.

For Zhejiang Yizheng Cultural Supplies Co, an enterprise that integrates the production, sales, and research and development of stationery, the excitement is palpable.

"In recent years, as Chinese cultural IPs have gained more international attention, we began trying our hand at exporting our own brands last year," says Zhang Ying, the company's director of human resources and administration. "Our design team has also grown from just four or five people to over 20."

The company holds official licenses for several popular IPs, such as Sanrio, Ultraman, and Transformers, and has also independently developed a range of stationery IPs like Carrot, Akun Bear, and Unicorn.

These products have found their way into more than 20 countries and regions, including European countries, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Southeast Asian countries. From January to July this year, the company achieved an export turnover of over 30 million yuan ($4.2 million), up 50 percent year-on-year, with about 40 percent of that coming from its own brands, according to Zhang.

This remarkable growth is not an isolated case. Zhejiang's Yiwu, a city often dubbed "the world's supermarket" for its expertise in consumer goods manufacturing, exported stationery products worth 410 million yuan from January to July, up 12.3 percent year-on-year.

Data from Zhejiang Customs showed that during this period, the province exported stationery products, such as ballpoint pens, pencils, and erasers worth 10.54 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.9 percent.

Home to more than 3,000 stationery and cultural creativity enterprises, Yiwu has embraced an innovative model that connects source factories directly with buyers during product ordering meetings.

Recently, 65 stationery and cultural creativity enterprises from Yiwu held a product ordering meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, showcasing over 10,000 stationery items that drew more than 200 Thai wholesalers.

At the meeting, Zhang Liangjie, a purchasing agent, dispatched six specialists to conduct a thorough search for high-quality source factories. Within just two hours, they had added more than 20 exhibitors on WeChat. Her company operates more than 70 chain stores in Thailand.

Giant panda-themed stationery developed by Chinese companies is very popular overseas. Some companies have developed stationery products based on the ancient Chinese myth, The Classic of Mountains and Seas, to gradually enter the European and American markets, says Huang Changchao, president of the Yiwu Cultural Products Industry Association.

Thanks to ongoing advancements in AR technology, scanning the cover of a notebook can trigger an English explanation of the animations from the four great classical novels in Chinese literature, Huang says.

"The 'China-chic' cultural products have performed well in overseas markets. Small stationery items can serve as a big window to showcase Chinese culture," Huang adds.