National Sticker Day: Saving Bournemouth stationary?

Westbourne shop owner Richard Overbury has credited the rising trend of stickers for helping him grow his business.

On National Stickers Day, the artist and business owner recognised  that the growing trend of stickers amongst young people has drawn more people into his shop and helped him to connect with the local art community.

Richard Overbury, 38, opened the shop in October last year, he said that the growing demand for stickers has been one of the things that has helped draw more people into the shop.

Stickers used for decorating laptops and phone cases are one of the reasons why they have grown in popularity amongst young people.

This trend has drawn students to the shop and has encouraged the owner to supply more.

He said: “A lot of people ask about stickers…it’s so exciting to see artsy people and students come in and say: “Ahhh stickers!”

Overbury also recognised how stickers can be used to spread important messages about social issues.

He said: “A lot of them [stickers] have a statement or they have something to say and I absolutely love that.”

He also explained how using stickers allows artists to express their creativity in ways that technology cannot replace.

Artist and business owner said that in a world dominated by technology and AI, art has become more and more important for people wanting to have their voices heard.

He said: “It’s always been important and I can’t stress how important it is today especially with the rise of things like AI. Art will always be prevalent in time.”

The shop owner  criticised the growth of art created by technology and explained how he feels that generated art does not carry emotion.

He said: “People have this need to do something and  be creative…It’s just as well you can press a few buttons but you don’t get that same feeling of expressing yourself.”

The business owner explained that the demand for art supplies such as stickers and handmade paintings and drawings is something that he thinks will keep the art community prevailing in a world becoming more and more influenced by technology.