Evernote Has More Office Supplies to Sell

All right, so people really do want Evernote socks. Ten months after the launch of its online store, the maker of the much-loved productivity app says it has averaged $1 million in monthly sales through Market. Now it’s expanding its catalog of physical products and moving into China, the company’s fastest growing market of users.

The first wave of products included a hodgepodge of items developed with brands such as 3M (MMM) and Moleskine (MSK:IM). This second set, original to Evernote, focuses on accessories to tame a messy desktop, much as the app is supposed to kill digital clutter. The pencil holders, catchall tray, and tablet stand—all commissioned from California designer Eric Pfeiffer—combine the richness of wood with the utility of plastic.

Photograph courtesy EvernotePfeiffer BrightZwerner says that the inspiration for the collection came from the company’s desire for good-looking desktop products. “There’s one-off things that you can have on your desk, but many of them try to mimic Apple,” says the designer, who, incidentally, was Apple’s (AAPL) creative director of packaging from 2001 to 2003. “We already have Macs on our desk, so we thought, What could we do to introduce a warmth, a humanity, into the space?” The answer was wood—also a theme in the company’s Redwood City, Calif., headquarters and the favorite material of Pfeiffer, who molds plywood as Ray and Charles Eames first did in the 1940s. Evernote will also introduce a line of Pfeiffer-designed desktop monitor platforms (these things) at its annual meeting in October.

The startup won’t say how much profit Market has generated, only that it’s “a meaningful revenue stream.” But its bestselling products, which include a $75 stylus and a $495 scanner, have a common purpose: They extend the functionality of Evernote. The company also makes money by charging a monthly fee for a premium version of its app: Individuals pay $5 and businesses $10 per user. It’s not clear how successfully Market has been selling its motlier products, such as its $30 Post-It Note variety pack and $99 slim wallet. (The $35 water bottle is currently sold out.) Zwerner says the company has reaped less quantifiable dividends from its retail venture. Specifically, he says, “We are a more crisply articulated brand.” Now with its own pencil caddy.