Asia Pacific Back-to-school Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032

Asia Pacific Back-to-school Market Outlook

The Asia Pacific back-to-school market size was approximately USD 42.32 billion in 2023. The market is assessed to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% between 2024 and 2032, reaching a value of around USD 66.22 billion by 2032.

Key Trends in the Market

Back-to-school refers to the period prior to the end of summer break. It is a lucrative period for school garment and stationery businesses, as parents as well as students usually stock up on their school supplies, including backpacks, school uniforms, and others. Some popular back-to-school supplies include shoes, pencil cases, notebooks, and binders, among others.

• Rising disposable incomes of the middle-class population and surging number of students in countries like China and India are driving the Asia Pacific back-to-school market demand. Moreover, key players in the region are leveraging the benefits of influencer and social media marketing to target student shoppers for purchasing back-to-school supplies.

• One of the key trends in the Asia Pacific back-to-school market is the growing popularity of innovative and personalised stationery items such as notebooks and pencils, among others. Numerous high-end stationery firms are providing customisable writing instruments, paper, and other products to meet the evolving demands of students.

Additionally, the increasing demand for Japanese stationery items due to their creative designs, high quality, and aesthetics positively influences the market demand.

• The increasing utilisation of technologies in the education sector for different applications, including assignment submission, communication, and assessment, among others, is aiding the Asia Pacific back-to-school market growth in the forecast period. Educational institutions are also encouraging students to use tech devices such as tablets and laptops for learning and accessing digital resources, further fuelling the market growth.

Market Analysis

Based on product, the market is segmented into stationery, clothing, backpacks, electronics, and shoes, among others. By distribution channel, the Asia Pacific back-to-school market segmentation includes hypermarket and supermarket, specialty stores, and online, among others. The major countries for back-to-school in the Asia Pacific include China, Japan, India, ASEAN, Australia, and others.

The comprehensive EMR report provides an in-depth assessment of the market based on the Porter's five forces model along with giving a SWOT analysis. The report gives a detailed analysis of the following key players in the Asia Pacific back-to-school market, covering their competitive landscape and latest developments like mergers, acquisitions, investments and expansion plans.

• Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd. 

• ACCO Brands Corp. 

• Zebra Co. Ltd. 

• Kokuyo Camlin Ltd. 

• STAEDTLER Mars GmbH & Co. KG 

• Newell Brands Inc. 

• ITC Ltd.

• Harlequin International Group Pty Ltd. 

• Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft 

• Hindustan Pencils Pvt. Ltd. 

• Others

Market Share by Product

As per the Asia Pacific back-to-school market analysis, backpacks are significantly gaining popularity as they support students to easily and conveniently carry their supplies and belongings. Backpacks are available on both online and offline platforms in versatile designs and attractive prints and colours. Moreover, students are increasingly preferring backpacks that can offer functionality while complementing the latest fashion trends.

Meanwhile, the demand for electronic goods such as tablets and laptops, among others, is anticipated to surge in the coming years due to the increasing utilisation of digital tools in education. The rising trend of online learning further favours the demand for electronic back-to-school supplies.

Market Share by Country

China accounts for a significant Asia Pacific back-to-school market share due to the growing demand for ultra-thin laptops and high-performance laptops that can support students’ requirements for online classes as well as after-school multimedia entertainment. Additionally, the rising disposable incomes in China further support the sales of back-to-school supplies like backpacks and stationery products.

Competitive Landscape

Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., founded in 1887 and based in Japan, is one of the leading global manufacturers of stationery products, including pens, pencils, and others. The company offers a range of pens such as modern pop-colour pens, switch pens, normal ball-point pens, markers, highlighters, and others.

Kokuyo Camlin Ltd., incorporated as a private company in 1946, is a multinational stationery manufacturing company that offers innovative and child-friendly crayons, including finger crayons, modelling clay, play dough, child grip crayons, and stationary items such as pens, wooden pencils, marker pens, geometric boxes, and others.

Newell Brands Inc., founded in 1903, is an American stationary company that emphasises on packaging, sustainability, and product design. Some of its well known subsidiaries are Reynolds, Parker, and Sharpie, among others.

Other Asia Pacific back-to-school market players include ACCO Brands Corp., Zebra Co. Ltd., STAEDTLER Mars GmbH & Co. KG, ITC Ltd., Harlequin International Group Pty Ltd., Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft and Hindustan Pencils Pvt. Ltd., among others.

Key Highlights of the Report