Proficiency Post - breaking news and opinion in the office productivity market by Peter Frost

Financial review - Half Year Results

WHSmith...slip

sliding away

Satisfied Swann fails
to lead growth for 7th year

26 Apr 10 (Updated for weekend press comment)

Kate Swann the CEO of the UK's largest high street news, books and stationery retailer WHSmith delivered half year results to 28 Feb 10 showing declining sales for the 7th consecutive year, since her appointment in 2003

This is the usual lightweight report giving little insight into initiatives and .glossing over weaknesses.

Read more: WHSmith slip sliding away...

Financial Review – Q1’10

Amazing Amazon

Accelerating innovative web services

23 Apr 10

Amazon.com today announced terrific financial results for Q1’10 ended 31 Mar 2010. We repeat the advice we have been broadcasting for 3 years now, don’t underestimate Amazon’s ability to reach users beyond the buyer. Amazon are the first choice of business women for home office products. Wake up to the $30Bn marketing power of the world’s #1 webstore.

Read more: Amazon.com Financial Review Q1'10

Happy Earth Day!

Low Carbon
2020 Offices

Smart technology…

Smaller footprint

By Lucy Jermyn, PP EcoDesk
Earth Day 22 April 10

The house of 2020 will likely be smaller, smarter, more urban and efficient.

Read more: Happy Earth Day! Low carbon 2020 offices

Starbucks’

star back

Strong Q1 sales comparisons

22 Apr 10
There may not be a Starbucks on every corner any more, but people are returning to upscale coffee stores. This is encouraging news for gourmet coffee service providers in the office market.

Read more: Starbucks star is back

Did Depot
dismiss Rubin?

Why let the good guys go?

Read more: Did Office Depot dismiss Rubin?

Desperate Depot
fear disruption

Behaving like “frightened childen”?

21 Apr 10

The Sun Sentinel Florida’s leading newspaper reported yesterday that Office Depot, the beleaguered US#2 office supply retailer, had issued a warning notice prior its annual shareholders meeting earlier today in Boca Raton.

The Sun asked “It all sounds fairly routine: voting on directors and stock incentives to retain certain employees.

So why the need to include a "disruption" warning for shareholders attending the meeting?”

Read more: Office Depot fear disruption at Shareholders Meeting

AppleSpheric!

iPhone phenomenon, Mac
magic and the incredible i-Pad

20 Apr 10

Apple, the most innovative and most admired company on the planet, reported sales and profits today, which soared past analysts’ estimates.

Super cool CEO Steve Jobs promised to release “more extraordinary products” this year.

Read more: Applespheric...phenomenal i-phone sales

Transparent
Tesco… to
top $100Bn

Storming in tech/home office
sales…online and delivered

20 Apr 10

Tesco, the UK’s #1 retailer, has weathered the recession to post a 12% rise in trading profits. It will be accelerating its international expansion and pledged to create 16,000 new jobs this year.

Moreover, in a comprehensive report below it has explained clearly the tremendous headway it has achieved in home/ SOHO  online delivery service…B2B marketing eat your heart out!

Read more: Transparent Tesco to top $100Bn sales?

IT supplies
market…

Opportunity or fear?

IT and printer consumables is currently the largest product sales category that most resellers supply. Margins are comparatively thin, causing a reluctance to market the category enthusiastically.

Now the huge potential to provide contract managed print services (MPS) for offices with 20-1000 workers, promises to make the category a solid and profitable opportunity. But will resellers treat it as a positive opportunity or wait until fear strikes and they lose a major account. It’s double or quits time…here’s why. Full story later today…

Go Loco

Independent dealers guide
to sustainable success

20 Apr 10

The trend towards old fashioned values, local community, sustainability are becoming a global phenomena. Localisation on a global scale, or ‘Glocalisation’ as a number of trendwatchers have called it.

We make this case here for NOPA (US) and BOSS (UK) to embrace and promote a system of core values that will favourably differentiate progressive, local office service providers or PROPS (providers of office productivity services) as we prefer to term them. Full story later today…

Read more: Go Loco...the independents guide to sustainable success