“I want to be more and more ‘off’ the screen.” It was the decision of publicist Gabriela Brito, 27, who swapped platforms like Notion and Trello, which she used for about three years, for a planner, a physical planner that allows you to view the week, month and year on separate pages.
Gabriela says handwriting became a way to reclaim creative and organizational processes that she felt were limited in the digital environment. “I feel like it limits my creativity, in a way, and I lose the habit of writing.”
The start of the year brings with it the search for physical planners, diaries and calendars. At Shop Figlia, founded by publicist Marina Mie Murakoshi, 23, the diary is the brand’s main product and experiences a sales peak at the end of the year, because the company only works with dated versions.
During the most recent launch, according to the founder, sales recorded in the first 12 minutes practically equaled half of the volume achieved throughout the previous year. After the first hour, the total had already reached the result of last year’s launch.
For Marina, the physical urban planner was sought as an organizational tool, but also as a space to take a break from her hectic routine. The founder says the brand observed an audience interested in a design without excessive rigidity, with an emphasis on balance and well-being.
“People are increasingly looking for convenience, with tools that will allow them to find clarity about themselves, fit into their routine, and balance planning without any toxic productivity,” he says.
At Organizando a Vida stationery, December and January are the main season of the year. Founder Deise Santos, 28, says that during this period, the store’s revenue increases between 30 and 60 percent, mainly thanks to annual planners and dated diaries. According to her, the increase in searches begins in the second half of October and remains high until the beginning of the following year.
At Paperview, which specializes in physical planners, the end of the year also sees a steady increase in demand for self-organizing products. For founder Angela Bufarah, 55, the urban planner now occupies a space distinct from digital tools.
“New technologies do not compete with the physical diary, they go hand in hand. Applications and digital calendars are perfect for alerts and appointments, but the paper diary is a space for pause, for handwriting, for reflection,” he comments.
Using a planner also appears to be associated with self-care. Occupational therapist Lívia Lilla Delduque, 24, says paper helps organize priorities and habits. “I am able to expand my self-care activities and maintain healthier habits,” comments Lívia.
For some, the physical planner also brings a sense of control and concreteness. Civil engineer Caroline de Jesus Rodrigues, 24, says she switched from her digital planner to paper about three years ago. “It’s professional to write down all your goals and then check off what you’ve done.”
Federal civil servant Camille Ghedin Haliski, 46, says she uses digital tools at work, but keeps the physical planner as a personal reference. “For things that are really important to me, I use the physical planner.”
Mayara Gisele Simões Araújo, 22, a law student and English teacher, says she plans to continue using Google Calendar for her daily appointments, but uses the calendar to get a broader view of goals and priorities. “It’s a big investment, but it will help me a lot,” he says.
In the stationers consulted by the report, the price of diaries varied between R$96 and R$329, depending on the size, number of internal divisions, level of customization and decoration materials.
Interest in physical products has also reached bookstores. According to Alexandre Martins Fontes, president of the ANL (National Association of Bookstores) and head of the Martins Fontes chain, sales of diaries, calendars and diaries are growing strongly at the end of the year.
“In October, we sell three times more than the average from January to September. In November, five times more. In December, ten times more,” he says.
For him, the figures indicate that, despite the consolidation of digital agendas, the role remains relevant in cultural consumption. “People are still buying physical planners, diaries and calendars.”
The Martins Fontes bookstore began investing in stationery equipment over the last five years. “For a long time, we only sold books. Today, the bookstore is more than just a place where you go to buy a book. It’s a place where you meet people, where you go for a coffee.”
Fontes says the bet is only sustainable because there is demand. “If there wasn’t a market, we wouldn’t be here to show you these numbers.”
With this in mind, in addition to diaries and notebooks, the chain plans to expand the offering of other analog items. “Next year I plan to start selling vinyls too,” he said.
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