last 10 years, traditional catalogues
still drive a large percentage of sales
(even if the resulting order is placed
online).
“Headline sales figures show a
decrease in traditional sales (including
computer supplies) of around 8%-
10%, with paper sales down around
12%. However, sales of catering,
janitorial and general facilities
management products are showing
exceptional growth and the more
progressive resellers are diversifying
into these new areas.
“Perhaps the most surprising
trend is the growth in sales of quality
notebooks and pads and traditional
fountain pens through both traditional
resellers and popular quality retailers,
including Paperchase, Bloc, John Lewis
and others.
“From the USA, we have had
predictions of the end of the
independent dealer channel. But,
whilst we have seen massive
consolidation in the UK, the dealer
channel remains strong, serviced by
our two national wholesalers, VOW
(part of EVO) and Spicers (part of
SPOT), and supported by emerging
companies, such as Prima Software,
offering ‘state of the art’ cloud-based
back office solutions.
“One of the most pleasing aspects
of the industry is its continued social
responsibility. This is shown by the
fact that many dealers, such as
Commercial andWiles Greenworld,
have their own charities, with others
supporting charities like the Stationers’
Foundation and its educational aims.
“In 2016, we will see the continued
merger of dealer groups in the OP
sector, as manufacturers continue to
see margins squeezed, and the growth
of total service groups, such as Office
Power and Nectere, which allow
partner dealers to concentrate on
sales, with all other services provided
by the group. The trend of ‘start-ups’ in
the OP industry will increase as sales
people leave ‘The Big Boys’ and try it
alone.
“The other major change to affect
us all will be the implementation
61284-002_PW_Internationalitaet_Pen2Paper_90x297 •
CD-Rom
• ISO 39 •
C
M
Y
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• tg: 11.09.2015
DU: 25.09.2015
GB
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continued...
“More and more people are
working from home, which I think
is helping to drive this demand. As
items are being bought for personal
use, quality and design are key. This
is why Maped Office products are
popular, especially the Advanced line,
which offers design-led, user-friendly
innovations in all products and real
value for money. People want items
that are going to look good on their
desk, but also last.We offer a 10-year
guarantee on the full range to reassure
our customers they are built to last.
People realise it’s not economical
to buy cheap if it means having to
replace items frequently.”
The channel perspective
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
SINCE 1403
Mike James,
Court Assistant,
the Stationers’ Company
“The Chinese proverb ‘may you live
in interesting times’ couldn’t have
been more apt for the office supplies
industry in 2015. The biggest change
was growth in the number and range
of products that OP dealers now
supply to customers in both the
B2B and B2C sectors (these are now
merging into one market). As a result,
more dealers now refer to themselves
as business suppliers and not just
office suppliers.
“The Stationers’ Company
has continued to see growth in
membership, with the OP sector
now representing almost 15% of
the Company, as individuals see the
benefits of networking and attending
relevant industry events.
“We have seen continued growth in
online sales (Euroffice being the largest
UK online competitor to Amazon and
Staples). Despite the predictions of the
Mike James,
Court Assistant,
the Stationers’
Company
Winter 2016 | P2P Magazine |
21
