Stationery Groups Urge Halt to Daiso and Coupang's Encroachment on Small Stationery Businesses

Calls for Policies to Protect Small Business Owners in the Stationery Industry

It has been claimed that stationery items are being treated as loss leaders in major corporate distribution channels such as Daiso and Coupang, causing severe damage to traditional stationery stores and local businesses.

The three major stationery organizations-the Korea Stationery Industry Cooperative, the Korea Stationery Distribution Cooperative, and the Korea Stationery Association-announced this at a press conference held at the Korea Federation of SMEs on September 11, urging the government to establish institutional measures to protect small business owners in the stationery industry.

The organizations emphasized, "Large distributors are selling stationery items at ultra-low prices as a means to attract consumers, triggering unsustainable price competition for small businesses and disrupting the overall price and distribution order in the stationery industry."

Stationery. Pixabay

They particularly noted that the sales base of traditional stationery stores near schools and private academies has weakened, leading to a decrease in order volumes and, as a result, a vicious cycle of declining service quality. According to the stationery organizations, the number of stationery retail stores, which reached around 10,000 in 2018, has dropped to fewer than 4,000 this year-a decrease of more than 60%.

The industry has proposed several support measures: reasonable restrictions on the handling of stationery items by large distributors; exemption of value-added tax on stationery products for fairness with books; and support for the introduction of 'automatic stationery vending systems (kiosks)' to help modernize traditional stationery stores. The organizations argued that these are realistic solutions that can both increase the viability of the stationery industry and enhance consumer convenience.

Lee Dongjae, president of the Korea Stationery Association, stated, "The stationery industry, like the book industry, is a foundational sector that supports the education and creativity of future generations, as well as a value industry underpinning education and everyday culture. If the government seizes this opportunity to establish and implement supportive policies, the stationery industry will be able to offer even greater value to the public as a new model."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.