HP settles over

Autonomy anger


Shareholders spare Meg legal


action & agree to co-op v Lynch

30 Jun’14


Hewlett-Packard (HP) and lawyers representing its shareholders have agreed to settle litigation over its troubled $11.1bn acquisition of software company Autonomy...

Relentless.com aka Amazon

At 20 Amazon is rising rapidly. Can its tree grow to the sky?

30 Jun’14 (Complete 19:00ET)

The current issue of The Economist and yesterday, CNBC-TV focused on the ‘Everything store delivered same-day’ phenomenon we know as Amazon. We discuss and analyse their reports here...

Joe Hemani

h o n o u r e d

Westcoast CEO/Founder wins

London entrepreneur of Year

28 Jun’14

On Thursday night, Joe Hemaniwas awarded Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 as a result of his efforts making Westcoast, the UK's leading IT wholesaler a sustained success.

Nike: Just Doing

Fit for Women

NTC call: ‘Today is the day

tomorrow will love you for’

27 Jun’14

Last night, #1 sportswear brand Nikereported phenomenal Q4 results with a clear focus on football, running and women’s fitness. President Trevor Edwardsannounced exciting plans to elevate distribution to women in business...follows shortly

Google goes

omnipresent

Unveils ambitious vision to

be in your home, your car,

your wrist…everywhere!

26 Jun’14

Google’s ubiquitous vision became increasingly clear at the search giant’s annual conference for software developers in San Francisco yesterday...

WBMason hits

Yankee stadium

Personalised same-day delivery

service across ever broadening

business supplies range on show.

26 Jun’14 (11:00ET)

WBMason, the US #1 megadealer hosted its 2nd consumer show at a hot NY Yankees Stadium yesterday. We spoke with COO Chris Meehanabout the show and latest expansion plans...

Steelcase strength

in design delivers

Collaborative workspaces,

drive growth in US/Europe

26 Jun’14

Steelcase,the global leader in office furnishings, today reported accelerated sales growth in Q1’15 with strengths in all major markets and a solid order book

Herman Miller: 

momentum slows

International sales strength
offsets slowness in US markets.

Has the leader lost its mojo?

26 Jun’14
Leading contract furniture maker Herman Miller today announced strong sales and profits growth for Q4’14 ended 31 May’14 with a bright order outlook

Dixons down

trend deludes

CEO James “excellent year”

disguises down turn in Q4

26 Jun’14

On 15 May we reported on UK’s leading multi-channel electrical retailer Dixons Retail results for Q4/FY'14. Earlier today it confirmed its slowing sales rate, but excellent profits for the year. It is losing market share heavily to Amazon...

Ingram’s Monie

on the IT money

World #1 wholesaler chief talks

tech refresh & multiple mobiles

25 Jun’14

Yesterday Ingram Micro CEO Alain Monie appeared on CNBC TV to talk about the death and revival of PC’s and age of mobile devices

Mills sustains

innovation success

Top productivity services reseller

wins Vancouver Green Award

25 Jun’14

One of the most progressive resellers in the office world, Mills Office Productivityhas won Vancouver’s prestigious Green Award. We speak with creative CEO Brad Mills….

Yahoo Mayer's

late snoozzzzz

I care this much about clients,

ad agencies and employees!

24 Jun’14

For media companies, the Cannes advertising festival is all about getting face time with top media buyers and advertisers. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer missed a golden opportunity to do just that last week...

All eyes glued

on Google I/O

Dev. confab will touch on TVs,

cars, watches & thermostats

24 Jun’14

Three weeks after thousands of software programmers converged in SF for Apple's developer conference, a similar crowd will descend this week for Google’s version...

12 Powerful

ways to raise

PRODUCTIVITY

The unlikely missing ingredients

from your personal action list

24 Jun’14

Inc.magazine’s Marla Tabakarecommends we kick start our performance into high gear by adopting these outrageous easy tricks…

Amazon Firefly's

under the radar

Beyond ‘buy-everything-from-

us’ at touch of button towards

the ultimate apps device  

24 Jun’14

Most observers of the launch of Amazon’s new Fire 3D Phone last week were asking why do we need another smartphone? CEO Jeff Bezoswas focused on maximizing the purchase of content, products and services from his army of resellers.

Facebook faces

fading friendships

Social Media numbers game up;

fails to live up to marketing hype

23 Jun’14

Businesses are looking more critically at the effectiveness of social media and its influence on the bottom line. They are now refining strategies to stress quality over quantity of friends and fans

Most valuable

global brands

Google pips Apple in BrandZ

list inc. 20 office marketers.

Who are the office leaders

23 Jun'14 (Complete)

Millward Brown Optimor, which compiled this year’s BrandZtop 100 brand rankings, reflect the fact that the developed world is recovering from recession and consumers’ confidence is returning. Who are MVB’s in the Office market? Thanks for your nominations. Results completed here...

Most Creative

People in the

Office Market

Top 10 innovators, designers,

thought leaders & marketers

23 Jun’14 (Complete)

Fast Company’s June edition headlined the ‘100 Most Creative People in Business’. We take a close look at the best creative minds in the office market. We publish the Top 10 with ratings here...

Apple's iWatch

time imminent

Jony Ive’s integrated bracelet

design set for Sept’14 launch?

20 Jun’14

Wearable tech is the next big thing. But Samsung and Google versions are limited and not selling well. If anyone can make a truly desirable wearable device, it's Apple

Optimism surges

for US start-ups

Flight to Freelancing fires up as

entrepreneurs gain confidence

19 Jun’14

Americans were more optimistic about starting a business in than in any year since 2001, according to an entrepreneurship survey released yesterday. Amazon’s Robin Hood Jeff Bezos will be cheering as his potential disciples grow…

HP: Hardening

Protection again

Preferred Partner program:

Mass cull of wild, wild web &

reman resellers moves to UK

19 Jun’14

HPconfirmed veteran George Brasher as the new UK/Ireland boss of its Printers and Personal ystems (PPS) division. Does this signal the extension of its disqualification of dealers announced in March?

Blackberry

bitten badly

Reports small profits surprise

from deep, deep cost cutting

19 Jun’14

Old tech smartphone maker BlackBerry reported on its terminal sales decline in Q1’15, but surprisingly posted a small profit after a string of quarterly losses...

Amazon Fire up
3D smartphone

Detailed analysis ofbenefits

for Bezos' latest content driver

18 Jun’14 (Updated)
Amazon announced its new 3D smartphone today. We go through the benefits to users including access to enormous easy 'browse and buy' content...

Smith disses Depot

& Max differentials

Still searching for its Holy Grail,

the yet to be articulated USP!? 

18 Jun’14

‘Chainsaw’ Roland Smithwas preparing to ascend Mount Everest when he was asked to tackle another daunting task: Get Office Depot back on track. We discuss Wall Street Journal’s interview published today…

Amazonification

Can Grainger guard ground?

How will wholesale slaughter affect office & MRO distributors 

The May issue of Forbes (PP covered story 13 May) put the spotlight on Amazon in an article titled "Amazon's Wholesale Slaughter: Jeff Bezos' $8 Trillion B2B Bet", focusing on its threat to office & industrial distributors such as Grainger, United and Staples

Purge Piranha
with Proficiency

Tomorrow’s news today, not
Yesterday’s news tomorrow

At last the press is catching up with the huge threat Amazonification aka Godzilla, represents to traditional OP industry structures. Proficiency Posthas been on its case since 2007, when it first exceeded $1Bn as the first eWholesaler in business supplies, with practical ways to purge its power...later today

PC’s the new
mobile accessory

Lucy’s iPhone will be preferred
business supplies buying tool

Smartphone shipments are expected to outstrip those of PCs by more than six to one by 2018, according to IDC

Native naivety negates ad effect

Misalignment with marketing objectives destroys credibility

While native ads and content marketing are beginning to garner budgets and rival digital display, brand campaigns backfire when relevance not matched. We offer 4 tactics for maximum impact…

Crystal rocked

back by Universal

Main water and coffee sales

drowned by acquisition costs

16 Jun’14

Crystal Rock, the US Northeast region beverage distributor reported its progress for the second quarter since it acquired Universal in September’13. It is obviously losing revenues in all categories...

Shortsighted analysts blind to Depot’s demise

Fail to get Amazon threat & overstate its recoverability

15 Jun’14

Seeking Alphaanalysts seem to be creating a bandwagon of support for beleaguered bigbox Office Depot. They continue to believe that Amazon’s advantage is price not personalised shopping and same day delivery…

PeRSoNaLiSeD
delivery same
day by Mason

WB takes fun shots at Amazon’s
plan for same-hr-drone delivery

Amazonhas created a worldwide furore over its vision to deliver everything, everyday in the same hour using drones. WBMasonhas enhanced its leading same day delivery by taking a personalised service route...

Can HP reinvent
& Discover itself?


Turnaround or more tailspinning
tales of re-extended treatment

On Wednesday, HP CEO Meg Whitman took the stage at its annual Discoverevent in Las Vegas to discuss the latest in the company’s turnaround plan

Samey Samsung:
plastic plagiarist

Copycat champion launches
10th current tablet edition

13 Jun’14
There are 10 different Samsungtablets on sale right now in the U.S, but I couldn’t really tell you what’s special about any writes WSJ’s Joanna Stern

Amazonification! How much is it really hurting?

Bashing bigboxes, whacking wholesalers; injuring indies etc.

No matter how much we beat the drum about the Amazon threat on OP wholesalers’ and resellers’ lifeblood, the majority don’t seem to get how deeply damaging the beast has become? Apologies, follows this morning

UK CEO’s slow
to adopt BYOD

Fears over loss of control, even
though security apps available

CompTIAresearch shows UK plc’s prefers to keep the reins of device deployment, despite increased mobility of workforce and the wish to use its own technology

Duracell power
Starbucks set

Powermats recharge mobile
batteries and café experience

People have walked into Starbucksfor years to re-charge their batteries — figuratively. Now, they'll be able to do it literally with Duracell's Powermat

Alibaba accesses
US marketplace

Amazon’s #1 threat worldwide
attacks with 11 Main webstore

 Alibaba Group, the mighty massemarketer with $248Bn sales in China (3x Amazon) has launched a new webstore in the US.

Messy WHSmith:
slip sliding away

Clarke continues cost cutting
culture & the ‘What Horrible
Stores' service experience.

WHSmith, the UK’s #1 High Street and travel location retailer, today updated the market on Q2’14 results for 14 weeks ended 7 Jun’14. CEO Stephen Clarke continued Kate Swann’s10 year defensive commentary of declining sales and cost cutting

How the MIGHTY
have fallen…

UK superdealers, wholesalers
hit by double-whammy: Amazon
effect + terminal paper decline

After years of complacency and denial the UK reseller and wholesaler community are starting to admit the devastating effect of Amazon.Many felt the sales downturn was caused by recession or declining paper demand. Now they get it, how do they plan to beat it?

John Fellowes
follows Jamie

Master of innovation and
integrity hands over reins

Jamie Fellowes, the legendary leader of Fellowes Corporation is passing over the reins as CEO to son John and resuming as chairman. We will be meeting Jamie next week to discuss his 50 years of dedicated service and success

Move with the
Mavericks

Solving today’s problems needs fresh entrepreneurial thinking

Marketing Week’s Marc Mathieu writes “When I think about the future of marketing, my inspiration comes more from start-ups and less from the world of industry". Lessons here for resellers seeking to solve the widening disconnect with office users 

Turnaround or
tailspin at Depot?

Investment analysts deluded by
Roly’s rhetoric, high margin hype
& speculation re Staples merger

Steep cost cuts and merger synergies have helped guide Office Depot back to profitability, notes Barron's. No-nonsense CEO Roland Smith has narrowed the focus of the company. Really?

Amazon attacks
Paypal payments

Single source wholesale service:
products, web & delivery system

With the start of a PayPal-like service, Amazon continues to expand its portfolio as the complete service provider on the web.

Dixons' smart
new tech zones

Replicating connected home
-office lead of BBY & Staples

Dixons Retail has rolled out special "smart tech" zones in five of its largest Currys and PC World stores. How long before they drop confusion of sub brands?

Alibaba’s absence
of disclosure angst

Can secretive private company
adapt to public glare & scrutiny?

As Alibaba Group, the giant ecommerce marketplace, prepares for the bright lights of the NYSE, it is keeping potential investors in the dark. There's still time to illuminate the situation.

Amazon’s new
3D smartphone

Launch of unique device that
tracks user movements for
accurate camera precision

Amazon will launch its first smartphone on June 18. The device will be unique in the marketplace thanks to its ability to deliver 3D effects courtesy of four front-mounted IR cameras.

Offering more
beyond the core

Bigbox retailers driving store-floor
optimization or clutter/confusion?

Top retailers including DIY king Home Depot; office supply #1 Staples and electronics leader Best Buy are betting on consumer basics to attract shoppers and boost sales…

Mason: Nobody
does it better…

Megadealer’s 4th consumer
show sets attendance record

WBMason,the US #1 megadealer hosted its 4th consumer day at Phillies MLB Stadium, Philadelphia yesterday. We spoke with CEO Leo Meehan…

Tech Wars

Progressives v

Protectionists

Microsoft, HP shifting deckchairs

u/attack from Apple & Google.

Did MS CEO 'Scroogle' himself?

6 Jun’14 (Complete)

Apple’sunveiling of new Mac and mobile operating systems for business app developers yesterday, accentuated the deficiencies of the old tech players…

Are you digital

dysfunctional?

Digital is hot in ads, but do

dealers know what it means?

6 Jun’14

According to a recent survey by Domus, nearly two-thirds of marketers said their companies suffer from ‘digital dysfunction’ in emarketing and social media

Tech Data takes
3D printer route

Broadliner latest IT wholesaler
to add replicators via MakerBot

World #2 rech wholesaler Tech Datahas responded to the "rapid adoption" occurring in the 3D printer market by inking an alliance with MakerBot.

Tesco Clarke too
clever or clueless?

Lost share to discounters, Aldi,
Amazon & premium marketers

The under-pressure boss of UK#1 supermarket Tesco has conceded he has made some misjudgements in strategy, but repeated his determination to fight on as the supermarket chain revealed its worst performance in decades.

Staples: strike by

investors over pay

Own goal? Paying exec bonuses

for effort over performance

3 Jun’14

Staples shareholders have voted their disapproval of a new executive pay package for executives of stalled #1 OP reseller. They also approved a recommendation to instal an independent chairman.

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The 5 Point Plan to

Entice & Engage

ENTANGLEMENT

The ultimate guide to permeate

customers & build lasting loyalty

3 Jun'14 (Complete)

We have updated and refreshed a classic lesson in how to achieve long term Customer Relationship Management, first introduced back in 1994, under the OfficeSMART RAPPORT loyalty system…

Acme makes
safe acquisition

Scissor maker shifts further
into health care market

Acme United today announced that it has acquired the assets of First Aid Only based in Vancouver (WA)

Apple: Cooks up

Mother of all Devs

Unveils Mac OS X Yosemite

plus New OS 8 features

2 Jun’14 (Complete 1530 ET)

Appletoday showed off the latest version of its Macoperating system, Yosemite OS X,which includes some redesigning of icons, windows, utility apps like calendar and the desktop’s notification center.

Woeful Windows

mires Microsoft

Software market share sinks

as Apple & Android OS advance

2 Jun’14

Don't expect Microsoft to celebrate the latest operating system market share numbers. The installed base of the Windows 8 family is growing but well behind its predecessors

Starboard stalks

MWV executive

Activist ‘Depot’ investor wants

overhaul of company overhead

2 Jun’14

The activist hedge fund Starboard Value is urging an overhaul at packaging leader MeadWestvaco Corporation, disclosing on Monday that it had taken a 5.6% ownership interest...

Apple’s prime

pipeline parade

WWDC preview: what new devs

we can expect at iGen festival

1 Jun’14

Starting tomorrow, Applewill be unloading a week’s worth of news and resources for software makers at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco at the Moscone Center.

Wayfair: winning

ways to market

Case Study: How personalised

emarketing powers success;

"Amazonification" of promotions

1 Jun’14

Boston based start-ups Wayfair and Hubspot are expected to go public this year. Home office furniture etailer and emarketing specialist provide excellent examples on how OP dealers should adapt to the new office user