Ad spend trend
soars worldwide

Digital dominates marketing
media as print sinks again

Global ad spend is on track to grow 5.5% this year to $537 billion, while web advertising will account for 25% at $121 billion, according to the latest forecasts out from ZenithOptimedia,a division of ad giant Publicis.

Gormless

Goldman

Anal advice: Sell Staples?

Buy disintegrating Depot Save

31 May’14 (Complete)

Goldman Sachs, the leading investment banker, yesterday announced a ‘sell’ rating for Staples and a ‘buy’ rating for Office Depot. Another example of short term thinking and opportunism by Wall Street?

Beware B I G

DATA baloney

Personalizing or mass customizing

relationships? Passing tech fad?

30 May’14

In two forthcoming reports, Forrester Research surveys marketing executives about its perception and effectiveness

Tech Bubble

talk inflated?

Ascent of Alibaba, Google,

Facebook fuel fears in market

30 May’14

There has been much talk in investment circles about the second coming of the tech bubble in the last 15 years. Not surprisingly the big names attending the Re/Codeconference disagree...

United tools up

MRO with CPO

Buys fast growing industry supply

etailer to broaden expertise

30 May’14 (Updated)

US #1 OP wholesaler United Stationers today announced the acquisition of leading power tools brands etailer CPO Commerce of Pasadena (CA). We talked to chief marketer Diane Hund…

Walmart playing

Amazon catch up

CEO McMillon discusses digital,

mobile, Facebook & security

30 May’14

Yesterday at the Re/Codeconference Kara Swisher interviewed Walmart’snew CEO Doug McMillon on the giant retailer’s digital plans..

Breaking News

Spicers seeks

Better future

Ball resigns as wholesale service

recovers from 6 months of turmoil

30 May’14

Greg Michaelhas been appointed as the new CEO of leading UK OP wholesaler Spicers, after Alan Ballresigned yesterday. Spicers’ service and logistical traumas after its CDC move to Smethwick in January have been well documented...

Basket Ballmer

clips $2Bn deal

Ex-Microsoft chief follows pal

Paul Allen with LA Clippers buy

30 May’14

It looks as though a huge deal has been struck by the controversial Sterling family to sell the LA Clippersbasketball franchise…

office2office AGM

jilts Gerber merger

Overwhelming rejects move

by ignorant activist investor

29 May’14

At the Annual General Meeting of UK business services leader office2office plcheld today, shareholders voted to reject Nick Gerber's merger proposals...

Clear cubicle

claustrophobia

Open office transparency

transforms collaboration

29 May’14

For 60% of Americans, the average workday consists of sitting in a cramped cubicle lit by overhead fluorescent lights, wedged between two co-workers whose phone conversations can be heard every minute of the day...

Workplace

of the future

Re/Code recap of Code

conference – Day 2 inc.

Salesforce & Workday

29 May’14

Day 2 of the Code Conference featured Apple’s media chief Eddy Cue, Beats’ Jimmy Iovine; Nest’s Tony Fadell and particularly relevant Marc Benioff of Salesforce & Workday’s Aneel Bhusri (pic left)

Meg’s mission

impossible at HP

Complacency & cost cutting

continues. Can old-tech giant

get much needed new talent?

29 May’14

Today WSJ’s Spencer Antewrote a highly relevant article observing that HP’ssales were falling faster than its headcount. At last analysts are looking underneath the bonnet and seeing a lack of engine power

Apple’s pipeline:

"best in 25yrs"

Cue talks innovation; Cook

sounds off about Beats Pro

29 May’14

Yesterday at the Codeconference in SoCal, Apple’s media chief Eddy Cue (pic left) and Beats CEO Jimmy Iovinediscussed innovation. Meanwhile, CEO Tim Cook explained the Beats buy, first announced here on 8 May...

Connected

home offices

Nest CEO Tony Fadell on smart

apps for personal productivity

29 May’14

Googlebought Nest Labs for $3Bn recently. It is well known for its “smart,” energy-saving thermostats and smoke detectors. now the CEO tells the Codeconference about latest innovations

Costco captures

more OP market

Expanding business delivery 

hubs into 10 US main markets 

29 May’14 (Updated)

Costco Wholesale (COST)the giant $105Bn in sales massmarketer reported Q3'14 financial results in line with expectations

David Sherwin:
Our courageous
advocate & friend

Office Depot Whistleblower dies
after brave battle with cancer. 

28 May’14 (Complete)

On 16 March, David Sherwinpassed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer. Every independent dealer should recognise David’s tremendous tenacity and investigative achievements under huge pressure from unethical forces in uncovering the biggest fraud in the history of our industry. His legacy is an example to us all...

Re/Code rethinks

future technology

Stellar speaker line up: Google, 

Apple, Microsoft, Salesforce,

Twitter, Beats, Nest & Comcast

28 May’14 (Updated)

Kara Swisherand Walt Mossberg, co-founders of Re/Code,the successor to All Things Digital, the premier tech and media newspaper and conference, held their first Code conference to a sell out of industry leaders starting yesterday in SoCal…

Apple’s new smart

home office app

Worldwide Dev Conference to

ignite race w/Samsung/Google

27 May’14

Over 5000 developers will attend Apple’s annual WWDC’14 next week in San Francisco. It’s all about creating new apps that simplify the way people live, work and socialize...

A m a z o n ‘ s
A n t i t h e s i s 

Personalised productivity services  the answer to ultimate disruptor.

27 May’14 (Complete)
Over the past 40 years most independent dealers' response to bigbox/massmarketers has been to try and match size/buying power. The most successful progressives have done the opposite with huge success…

FAME Index

P u r g e  the
p a p e r c l i p!

Stop the last century look
that trivializes your brand 

26 May’14 (Complete)

We love paperclips as much as any dealer, but the time has come to look beyond products that increase overheads, towards office productivity tools and services that cut customers costs. Therefore, pull the 'paperclip' from your logo look...

FAME Index

P u r g e  the
p a p e r c l i p!

Stop the last century look
that trivializes your brand 

26 May’14 (Complete)

We love paperclips as much as any dealer, but the time has come to look beyond products that increase overheads, towards office productivity tools and services that cut customers costs. Therefore, pull the 'paperclip' from your logo look...

Reman race
to redundancy

Compatible clones under
pressure from originals in ink
sinking, cannibalized market

26 May’14 (Complete)
First quarter results from the sinking ink remanufacturers continued their terminal tailspin. HP has added to the pressure by recharging Preferred Partners to attack compatible competition in a shrinking market…

Rethinking Retail

Resellers Refresh!

Rocky? Recession? Retreat?

Relics must recreate theatre

destinations not chore stores

25 May’14 (Updated)

It's been a rough week for retailers as share values plummeted, causing speculation of another recession?? The real problem is there‘s too much focus on drab product displays and failure to create a user-friendly shopping destination. This is reflected too in a woeful webstore experience.

DCC Technology

exerting strength.

Anglo Irish group double digit-

drive in mobile communications

23 May’14

The newly branded Exertis Groupincluding tech distributors Micro-Pand Gem reported a great year of sales and profits to 31 Mar’14

Dell quells

Post-PC fears

US leader talks about PC’s,

tablets, mobiles & software

23 May’14

Last September, Michael Dell won his year-long battle to take his company private after one of the fiercest business brawls in recent memory. Fortune Magazine’s Claire Zillman interviewed him about his new challenges

Touch & Feel

phenomenon

Founders' soul factor beats

hired high-handed executives

23 May’14 (Updated)

We study the pre-eminence of the great founder leaders in the office market and the battle lines that are being drawn in the burgeoning business supplies market...

Ink-sinking HP’s

Hollow Prospects

Winsome Whitman’s turnaround

tale in tatters. What innovation?

22 May’14 (Complete)

Hewlett Packard (HP), the world’s #1 technology maker, continued its decline in Q2’14 ended 30 Apr’14. Once again, CEO Meg Whitman’s air of clichéd confidence and broad brush-strokes failed to convince sceptics about her ‘New style of IT’ rhetoric. Where are the new growth businesses?

China’s Amazon

JD.com jumping

Partnership with Tencent powers

search preferences v Alibaba 

22 May’14

The biggest test yet of US investors’ appetite for Chinese web firms has passed with flying colours — and it doesn’t involve the Alibaba Group, that country’s e-commerce giant.

Best Buy beaten

back by Amazon

Deluded over market share gain.

Renew Blue cost cuts drive profits

Blamed brands "lack innovation"

22 May’14 (11:00ET Complete)

Best Buy, the US #1 consumer electronics retailer, reported disappointing financial results for Q1’15 ended 4 May’14. In spite of analysts brouhaha it’s well behind in online growth rates, defensively boasting market share 'gains' and only marginally profitable thru' cost reductions...

2014 WebWatch Round 3

Wonderful or

woeful webstores

Wake up! Complacency reigns.

Wanted: user & mobile friendly,

minimum clicks user experience

22 May’14 (0600 UK time)

After reviewing 2013’s best webstores in Round 1 and leading resellers in Round 2, we revisit more progressives and rising stars to see if they have optimized the shopping experience for users, especially mobile. Ratings complete

Best Buy brouhaha

amiss by analysts

Seeking Alpha misreads retailer’s

revival rally v Amazon attack

21 May’14

Tomorrow morning, Best Buy, the US #1 consumer electronics retailer, reports its Q1’15 results. The consensus of analysts’ opinion is optimistic. It has been late to reinvent itself in stores and online shopping experience. We challenge the analyst view…

Samsung mobile

market share slips

WANTED: Innovation in phones &

tablets w/business user appeal

21 May’14

Samsung Electronics became the world's biggest smartphone maker by selling mobile phones running on Google Android operating system. Now the pressures on to counter rising competition from cheaper Chinese rivals using Android

{loadformaker 12}

Acsellerated

profitability!

ECi’s analyzer tool boosts

dealers’ OEM margins; now

extended to Red Cheetah

21 May’14

In February, ECI/Acsellerate’s launched its new Profitability Manager tool to automate margin analysis. We discuss the successful case studies to date with sales leader Amy Brown (pic left)and happy dealers

Hot or Hollow

Prospects?

Are analysts deluded by

winsome Whitman’s talk

of innovation and growth?

21 May’14

Tomorrow HP is due to report Q2’14 earnings. Investment analysts seem positive about its prospects. We discuss their grounds for optimism and provide an alternative view

Can Nadella
Re-Surface
Microsoft?

Can 'super' 12" tablet dent
Apple iPad Air dominance?

20 May’14 (Updated at 1300ET)
New Microsoft boss Satya Nadella unveiled its 'mobile first' plan to help users 'be more and do more" in New York today...despite two previous models flopping. We report on design chief, "super excited" Panos Panay's demo (pic left) of the new Surface Pro 3which he is confident "will replace the laptop"...

Google buys

BYOD provider

Divide joins Android’s drive to

secure business mobile usage

20 May’14

Google said it is buying Divide, a mobile-device-management startup, to help the Internet giant’s Android business reach more business customers.

Ship sinking? Stay

aboard SS Staples

Ignorant analyst doesn’t get its

lead in web & biz supply service

19 May’14

Another simplistic Seeking Alpha analyst Wall Street Playbook joined the ranks of bandwagon bigots today in writing down Staples with an article entitled ‘Sell Staples ahead of Earnings’ statement tomorrow. We expose the analysts dumbness and argue that investors should adopt a smarter view…

Staples start-up

TV-ad a big hit

‘Make more happen’ campaign

lifted by humour & relevance

19 May’14 (Updated)

Staples launched its new US national TV campaign in January to advertise its ever-widening portfolio of broadline business supplies. We were sceptical about the empty message then, but now it appears that ‘Easy’is returning to the fore…

Tomorrows News Today...

Pull buybacks!

Push productivity!

Has capital spending slowed or

is tech cheaper & expensable?

19 May’14

A current Business Week article argues that companies are not spending enough on equipment workers need and as a result negatively impacting productivity. We explore and discuss…

Samsung ads to

saturate LHR S5

Digital displays of Galaxy to

take over busy Heathrow T5

19 May’14

With all the fanfare of a great PR stunt, Samsung Electronicssaid it would rebrand Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport to promote its new Galaxy S5 phone.

TriMega-AOPD

team up. Next?

Groups grow closer together.

Expecting USOPIA by 2016?

19 May’14

US #1 buying group TriMegaand leading contract group American Office Products Distributors (AOPD) announced today that they plan to hold a joint conference in 2016...

Depot/Max's 
mad ad mess

What happened to catchy
‘Where’d you get that?’ ads?

19 May’14
Yesterday, Office Depot launched a dual brand ad with OfficeMaxin the heavy editions of Sunday newspapers. Just like the medium, its message is a misguided mess; and a poor reflection on its new strategic thinking…

The USP Wars:

Staples v Amazon

v Mason v Depot.

Winning strategic choices:

Where to play, How to win.

19 May’14

Office Depot’s CEO Roland Smith talked in clichéd tones about developing a ‘unique selling proposition’ for the beleaguered ex-#1 OP reseller. Is he serious? What strategic choices does he have v its main rivals? Completed today

If office supply’s about

improving productive lifestyle,

Why are we

so  l i f e l e s s?

Market image tainted by lack

of self-respect & poor pictures

19 May’14 (Complete)

We hear it all the time. The office business is about people. We agree, so why do we portray ourselves as deadly dull with industrial, still-life images, from the sad 70’s era?

The Race to  

Infinity:Part 2

Amazon tops 2.2 million biz

supplies sku’s; Shoplet 1m+;

and Staples moving to 1.5m

18 May’14

Last week, we reported that Amazon had increased its broadline business supplies range to an unprecedented 2.2m sku’s. in response Graingerhas increase its count 1.2m and Shoplet now advertises 1m sku’s. How will OP wholesalers respond? 

Do local dealers

ply natural edge?

They should have advantage, 

but local is useless, unless

market to users at low cost

17 May’14

In her National Small Business Week speech, Constant Contact CEO Gail Goodman highlighted the importance of small business owners' ability to foster real relationships with customers. Yes, but do they reach users and apply it?

TriMega Nsightful

marketing moves

NPD analyses to assist members

personalised marketing drives

16 May’14

Last week, TriMegaannounced a partnership with research firm NPR to guide its sales targeting process. We spoke with marketing chief Michael Morrisabout the tacit transformation from the buying group’s supply-side focus to marketing. Later today

Ingram drives

digital signage

Huge AV growth opportunity
missed by most OP dealers

The world’s #1 IT wholesaler Ingram Micro says dealers can do much better in audiovisual (AV) market. It will investing in consulting and training offerings for dealers...

2014 WebWatch Round 2


Wonderful or


woeful webstores


OP dealers still complacent; yet

to get the mobile imperative

15 May'14 (Updated)

After reviewing 2013’s best webstores in Round 1, this time we revisit some of the top resellers who have yet to optimize the shopping experience for users, especially mobile....ratings complete, mini profiles before 24 May, sorry

Walmart: web+
weather beaten

US decline offset by growth in
international & ecommerce

The world’s #1 retailer, Walmart (inc. Asda in the UK) continued its slow growth pattern of 2013, particularly in the US, in Q1’15 ended 2 May’14. It blamed weather but #AmazonEffectis hurting too...

Dixons down

trend deludes

CEO James “excellent year”

disguises slower demand 

Dixons Retail,UK’s leading multi-channel electrical retailer, today announced disappointing Q4 results to 30 April’14, in an otherwise strong year

CPW/ Dixons:
a curried mix

Merger of equals or escalating
egos? What will be new name?

As suggested by PP in December, European electronics retailers Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse (CPW) have finally confirmed their 'merger of equals'. Let the culture clash commence...

Dealer Alert!

Competitive health warning!

Don't hire tired traditional, transactional types. Recruit & develop a new farmer set

Inc. magazine‘s Norm Brodsky warns against hiring competitors’ sales people. They may not need training, but don't expect them to listen to your rules. A timely reminder given the imminent Depot/Max exodus...

Amazon enables

24/7 workweek

Supplies entrepreneurs' needs 

w/Sunday delivery expansion

Amazon is expanding its Sunday package delivery service to 15 more cities across the country, including Philadelphia, New Orleans and Dallas.

Sony: steering

sinking course

Turnaround tease. Shutters

businesses, no signs of new.

Two years after Kazuo Hiraitook over as CEO at Sony. it is slipping into a familiar pattern. After talking turnaround was near, tomorrow it will report its fourth annual loss in five years.

Furnituremakers'

Results Review

Kimball, Humanscale finalise

a positive quarter for leaders

13 May’14 (Complete)

Kimball Internationaland Humanscale reported Q1’14 results last week. We analyse and compare results for Steelcase, Herman Miller, HON, Knoll and Haworth...

Coke raises
stake in Keurig

Full blown bid coming
to stymie Starbucks?

13 May’14
Coca-Colahas raised its stake in the coffee and beverage K-Cup king Keurig Green Mountain. Has it done this to deflect from its dull performance or to dominate office beverage supply?

Amazon attack accelerates again

Wholesale stealthy slaughter in biz supplies gets recognition

13 May’14 (Updated)

Forbes’ next feature article is headed “Amazon’s Wholesale slaughter’;Industrial Distribution is running a June conference on ‘Facing the Amazon attack’;Proficiency Post has warned about the #AmazonEffect for 8 years as 'Godzilla' eats OP dealers' and wholesalers' lunch. The press is getting it, will dealers?

Is Amazon flow fouled by fakes?

High service reputation at risk from rogue supply partners

Trees don’t grow to the sky! Amazon’s pursuit of 2015 sales target of $100Bn+ could be diverted by a user backlash of supplying a mix of fake merchandise with genuine brands 

SCC: integrated

supply + services

Mid market focus drives strong

managed services growth

12 May’14

Europe’s #1 independent tech services provider, SCC Groupposted impressive results, CEO James Rigby (pic left) stressed the importance of an integrated hardware and services portfolio

Productivity 

looks so good

Neocon 2014: Preview of

largest interiors design show

12 May’14

NeoCon (9-11 June in Chicago) is North America’s largest design expo & conference for commercial interiors, annually attended by over 40,000 architecture and design professionals. We preview some of the leading vendors exciting exhibits...

Systemax on

roller coaster

Europe tech sales back, but

US biz slow/consumer weak

12 May’14

Systemax, the tech-direct marketer including Misco, CompUSA, Circuit City and Tiger Direct brands, reported continuing decline in its financial results for Q1’14 ended 31 Mar’14

Tablets taking

the slow road

Users wanting utility waiting

for one device: the iPhad6?

12 May’14

The Apple iPad has become one of the most successful consumer electronic products ever. Suddenly though the market is slowing down. Here’s why…

Productivity powers new investment

The paperless path to personal productivity 

Good news! Capital investment is coming back strongly. Where’s the focus? Technology that drives personal productivity e.g. workplace wellness, wearables, ergonomic workspaces, sit/stand desks; cafes for refreshments and healthy snacks. We review latest developments…

SheConomy rising

rapidly in business

Young businesswomen the new

majority to drive wellness trends

9 May’14

The leaders of tomorrow are going to be women more than men. Latest trends show that they dominate university graduates. Making sure company wellness and fairness issues are high on agendas will be keys to success...

Bright future

for AV market

Global market projections:

higher resolution & mobility

9 May’14 (Updated)

Worldwide AV projector sales are running at $10Bn+ as market moves towards brighter solutions…

Brother breaks

back down trend

Gains significant market share

with 'at your side' strategy  

9 May’14 (Updated)

Brother International$6Bn strong document services and printer maker has reported impressive gains in the small and medium sized business market in US/Europe. We spoke with UK sales chief Richard Fordyesterday...

iiDA Leaders Breakfast

C r e a t i v i ty

U n l e a s h e d!

Disrupter Josh Linkner presents

5 obsessions for reinventing biz

9 May’14

A bumper attendance of the interior design community of iiDA New England assembled yesterday for a business leaders’ breakfast, featuring inspirational keynote speaker and author Josh Linkner…

Adveo: adverse

trends unabated

Prospects poor given printer ink

plunge w/no new categories

8 May’14

Adveo, the leading mainline European OP wholesaler (inc. Spicers Europe) continued its disappointing sales decline in Q1’14. The outlook continued to be challenging unless new categories are added quickly

CDW: Creative

Distribution Wins

IT managed services provider

powers into cloud/education 

8 May’14

CDW Corporation, the $11Bn leading US multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare, today announced impressive Q1’14 results

B2B or B2C is X. It’s about B2U!

Confusion over old-hat terms diverts from reaching users

Even seasoned OP professionals don’t seem to get that B2B and B2C marketing distinctions are dead! Resellers need to reach user choosers now, not just commodity buyers. That means marketing beyond the buyer to Lucy…

Coffee king Keurig

growth cooling off

Adds famous brands to portfolio

ready for new 2.0 brewer launch

7 May’14

Keurig Green Mountain, the $4Bn+ in sales leader in specialty coffee brewers for US homes and offices, today announced a slow down in sales growth but increased profitability in Q2’14 ended 29 Mar’14

HP in cloud
cuckoo land

Meg’s half-hearted attempt 

to defend dinosaur position

7 May’14

HP is to invest $1Bn in cloud computing over next 2 years to defend itself against the burgeoning giants Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Typical of CEO Meg Whitman, its far too little and far too late for the old tech giant...

Depot's New York

State o/Mendacity

Never ending frequent frauds &

systematic overcharging fined

7 May’14

NY StateAttorney General Eric Schneidermanannounced Wednesday a $475,000 settlement with Office Depot for improperly overcharging.

Arrow electronics
losing its spark

Solid components sales gains
offset by soft server demand

6 May’14
Arrow Electronicsthe $20Bn+ in sales, global provider of IT products, services today reported slower sales for Q1’14 reversing previous positive trends

Alibaba aces

Amazon value

Initial Public Offering imminent

with $250Bn valuation expected

6 May’14

Alibaba Group’s chairman and founder Jack Ma is a charismatic leader who is planning an IPO soon on NYSE. China’s equivalent to Amazon processes 3x its sales volume…

Down, down

Depot and down

Chainsaw Smith’s 'optimisation'

i.e. scything savings, underway.

Transformation aka termination

6 May’14 (Complete)

Office Depot/Max, the beleaguered bigbox OP combo continued its slide towards $16Bn sales and losing market share rapidly, according to Q1’14 results. Annual sales rates have fallen 35% since 2007. 'Chainsaw charmer' was pleased with progress and economical with the truth...

Lexmark leans

into software

Offers to buy document

sorting services company

6 May’14

Lexmark International the lagging printer maker has offered $184.2 million offer to purchase Swedish software maker Readsoft.

Paperless trendinescapable. Is market in denial?

Paper-related makers latest Q1reports confirm sharp decline

Latest Q1’14 financial results to date confirm sales of paper, PC/printer & ink makers; plus trad OP vendors were all in decline in US/Europe. Why are complacent CEO’s underestimating the terminal trend? Many still blame weather and economic headwinds!?

Gerber o2o

grab guileless

Ignorant investor portrays

Banner as OP laggard not

managed services leader

5 May’14 (Updated)

Understandably, activist US investor Nick Gerberhas targeted UK leading business services group, office2officeas an undervalued opportunity. His critical letter to shareholders re ‘plodding along’ is clueless claptrap…

Can dealers sell hygiene factor?

Most stuck in the same old jansan ‘junk margin’ market

We have seen recently how increasing numbers of OP dealers approach the huge hygiene and refreshments market opportunity. They are adopting the same old transactional ‘commodity’ pricing approach, rather than offering better services…