Vienna stationery shops continue to disappear

Vienna has just over 20 shops specialising in stationery, as the sector faces a difficult start to the school year, ORF reports. Over the past 20 years, the industry has shrunk by about 30 percent in terms of retail space, employees and businesses.

“Over the past 20 years, we have seen a reduction of around 30 percent. This affects retail space, employees and shops,” said Michael Zimmermann, chairman of Vienna’s paper and stationery retailers at the Austrian Economic Chamber.

Traditional businesses are repeatedly closing because no successors can be found. Papierhaus Stöger, a stationery shop in Döbling, has existed for more than 100 years. It faced closure in 2020 before a competitor took over the business.

At the same time, retailers are seeing renewed interest in traditional stationery products such as fountain pens and handwritten calendars.

The sector faces pressure from drugstores, supermarkets and discount retailers, as well as online businesses. According to the Austrian Chamber of Labour, prices for the same branded school product can differ by as much as 101 percent.

Retailers are trying to compete through advice and expanded product ranges, including craft supplies, kitchen goods and gifts. The number of Vienna retailers has nevertheless continued to fall, from 248 in 2011 to 155 this year.