Office Productivity Market 2010 Review

Tech refresh; indie gains inspire strong recovery

A month-by-month review of 2010 with many positive signs for progressive service providers

31 Dec 10 (Complete)

Time to review a positive year for progressive service providers setting an example to dealers stuck with the traditional stationery attitude. 

Best Buy UK
build ‘on track’

Questions raised over northeast plans

29 Dec 10

Best Buy, the world’s #1 consumer electronics retailer, said its plans to expand in Britain next year remain on track in spite of pulling out of a significant property deal in the northeast of England.

Devious Depot
denied insurance

Terminal tailspin continues as mounting $M’s legal costs outpace penalties

29 Dec 10

Office Depotcontinues to dominate the negative news headlines as the authorities catch up with the claims of dodgy duo ex-CEO Steve Odland and Deputy Dog Steve Schmidt.

FAME Index

Best brand

designs 2010

Review of US and UK resellers’
images, logos and straplines

28 Dec 10 (Completed)

At last progressive dealers are getting the importance of brand image. More and more are moving away from a ‘cut-and-paste’ look, overloaded with cheap ‘kitchen-sink’ impressions of paperclips and stationery. Here’s the FAME Indexteam’s review and ratings of the Top 12 US and Top 12 UK reseller brand images:

Depot  d e c e i t
d e n o u n c e d

Calls for new Florida governor to dismiss defective contract

27 Dec 10
Outrage continues to grow over a controversial contract amendment signed between Florida DMS Secretary Linda South and Office Depotpresident Steve Schmidt.

Christmas 2010
Characters List

The stars? The turkeys?
The wisemen? The crackers?

24 Dec’10 (Refreshed)

Our thanks go to all those that participated by putting forward suggestions for our Christmas Characters list. The nominations were fairly predictable in another turbulently tough year:

Special Tribute to the

Dynamos of
the Decade

10 innovative marketing

icons from the Noughties.

24 Dec 10 (Refreshed)

Many industry people tell us sadly things ain’t what they used to be. We disagree, things are so much better now. There are more progressive characters driving growth and having fun than at any time in the last 30 years.

We pay special tribute 10 such dynamos...

Top 10 Webstores in 2010

W o n d e r f u l

W e b s t o r e s

The best got better! New rising stars! Resellers respond positively to urgent challenge

23 Dec 10 (Completed1800ET; 2300 GMT)
Regular readers know that we have campaigned resellers for 3 years to match the Amazon.comwebstore experience that women in business prefer. The great news is that 9 have matched and exceeded the experience. Especially these champions…

Proficiency Index

The P O W E R 

Performers 2010

Who wins the growth champions challenge for US and UK resellers

23 Dec'10 (Updated 1300ET; 1800 GMT))

Last year, Tony EllisonCEO at Shoplet.com scooped the pool with a tremendous triple-top perfomance: #1 webstore; #1 in productivity; and #1 in market growth. Can anyone match that in 2010. We suggest some hot performers and welcome your contributions. 

Nominations all in...the countdown from #10 down #1 follows here:

Proficiency Index

OP Reseller Review

The Productivity

Champions 2010

New leaner US/UK entrants 

outpace 2009 leaders

23 Dec’10 (Refreshed)

We’ve been busy reviewing best practice in one of the most universally accepted measures of reseller productivity and a strong profitability indicator.

As started in 2009, we differentiate between stocking, stockless and pure internet resellers. 

Unable to view cart?

We have had a few reports from people who are unable to view the cart when in the checkout who are using Vista with IE8.

Proficiency Index Survey

The Green Giants 2010 
Champions of low carbon, sustainability and ethics

23 Dec 10 (Refreshed)

The tremendous initiatives by a number of OP industry leaders in corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, ethics, recycling and cutting carbon emissions moved us to check out the progress of the industry at large. Here are the winning resellers and manufacturers…the independents excelled

C o - c r e a t i n g
eco-friendly gains

“Good for the planet…good for profit”

By Lucy Jermyn,

23 Dec 10

A few weeks back we featured a piece about co-creation innovation. That's what is called the practice of finding a synergistic partner and creating something together.

Faking Care of Business

Dithering Depot
in total disarray

Schizo Schmidt: “Go with TCPN; no, go with NIPA; no wait, all go with TCPN”

21 Dec 10

Office DepotDeputy Dog Steve Schmidt is getting exposed as an incompetent, unethical and desperately indecisive president. His latest letters to the US Communities are beyond belief

Is this Deputy Dog

Schmidt’s last act?

Desperate double discount offers to try and salvage US Communities

20 Dec 10

Office Depot BSD president Steve Schmidtsent a letter to all US Communities customers earlier this month declaring the discredited TCPNagreement as the primary national agreement for its government business.

Depot damaged,
beyond repair?

Odland exit was tip of iceberg… more tailspinning tales from Deputy Dog Schmidt; plus odd empathy with OPI

16 Dec 10

Office Depotwill enter 2011 without a CEO and under multiple investigations of fraud at both the federal and state level. Every week, new revelations of fraud and contract losses pinball its desperate path towards self destruction.

Depot's $4.25m

fraud pay off

Overcharging denials and

delay tactics settled in SF

15 Dec 10

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrerayesterday announced a settlement agreement with Office Depotone year after tenuous denials.

B e s t  B u y
hits buffers

Boston, Chicago, London,

Minneapolis, NY or Seattle?

Top Growth

City in 2010

Where is it all happening in OP?

14 Dec 10

Chicagois the home of the modern day OP industry. In recent years Boston has taken the lead with many challengers emerging. So who leads in 2010?  

KC’s sunshine
brand strategy

Brand promise at core of innovation

13 Dec 10

The key men behind Kimberly-Clark'sbrand strategy, including vice-president of family care for Europe Troy Warfield, discusses how the FMCG giant is meeting some very modern challenges. Lessons for brand owners of basic commodities…

Florida flaws fudge Depot fraud

‘Cabal of incompetence’ to be exposed by new governor Scott

12 Dec 10

Florida governor elect Rick Scott is faced with an immediate order to investigate allegations by the Naples Daily Newsthat Office Depot overcharged the state up to $30 million.

Breaking News...

Desperate Depot 

stoops low to lobby

Baskerville hounds on BullSchmidt’s behalf in unethical counter attack

8 Dec 10

Office Depot have mounted an all out attack to try and salvage heavy losses of public sector business to Independent Stationers…