SINGAPORE - With just days before 2021, many people would have begun hunting for planners, diaries and desk calendars for the new year.

However, it may be harder this year to get hold of a desk calendar, which is usually given out as a corporate gift or mailed to households by companies hoping to promote their brand.

In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, printers are cutting down on the printing of desk calendars due to lower demand from companies trying to reduce spending.

Seven out of nine printing companies interviewed by The Straits Times said they are printing fewer desk calendars for 2021 as companies are not ordering as many as before.

Ms Fizza Bhaimeya, owner of Infinity Zap and Print Services, said that while the company used to produce desk calendars for seven to eight companies annually, there were "totally zero orders" this year from companies.

She attributed it to more staff working from home this year and hence not needing the calendars.

Another printing company told The Straits Times off the record that their orders of desk calendars this year had dropped by as much as half, and said this was because fewer people are working in offices.

While full-time investor Peter Lim, 59, typically receives two to three calendars from banks and insurance agents in the mail every year, he did not receive any for 2021.

For the new year, he will be using a desk calendar given by his neighbour.

Mr Lim has been using desk calendars every year since the late 1980s."Back then, there was no computer or handphone so I used desk calendars to keep track of my schedule," he said.

He prefers desk calendars over phone calendars for the convenience it brings, though he is resigned to the fact that desk calendars will one day become obsolete.

"With a desk calendar, you can see one whole month of activity at a glance. This is better than using the calendar on the phone where you have to press different buttons to view each day's activities, " Mr Lim said.

"It's unavoidable that desk calendars will be replaced by digital calendars in a matter of time - but until then I will continue using desk calenders if I receive them. "