Bouncebackability
Reports are all in for Business Supply players in Q4'22. Predictably they show inflated profits but weak sales recovery v pre-Covid 'norm' Q4'19. Proficiency Index reports the Leaderboard of makers, wholesalers & dealers' 'Bouncebackability' performance. It covers 100 leading paper & printer makers, hygiene, foodservice and packaging suppliers, OP/furnituremakers and retailers Updated
Healthy Hygiene
Hygiene is now #1 business supply category alongside technology. Progressive business suppliers: brandmakers, dealers have pivoted into hygiene, safety, foodservice & packaging, WFH-tech & wellness services. Proficiency Index Q4'22 analysis is almost complete with brand volumes slowing, boosted by double-digit price hikes. Updated for KPTissue, Sappi & Suzano. Diversey delayed to 22Mar
Top 50 Women
Marketing to businesses by brandmakers & resellers was traditionally dominated by men. As we celebrate International Women's Day, Proficiency Index recognises the most successful women leaders. This is 16th edition of 'Top 50 Women in Business Supply', the market's real growth achievers, including new entrants from progressive independent dealers.
Office Mkt Legends
It's 10yrs since the top OP mega-independent dealer champs Lyreco's Eric Bigeard and WBMason's Leo Meehan met with Staples CEO Ron Sargent in Boston. We reflected on past glories, Covid, digital transformation and looked forward to a 'hybrid office productivity' future..Updated
Hybrid work future
The contrast in opinions over the 'hybrid work future' & the 'return to work', is stark. New thinking is positive about the huge rise in entrepreneurial productivity. Old thinking believes a return to corporate office control is inevitable. Are corporations underestimating the hollowing out of office space; the time waste and the need to trust workers' motives? Updated
Uber One saves
SuperBowl commercials seem to be on the rebound. We've seen way-too-serious ones, overly long ones, safe and boring ones to remind us of things we don’t need help remembering. But, nothing beats a great ad, and the 2023 versions were regarded as some of the best yet?
The Pich perfect
It's 10yrs since we met 80's office productivity champion Bill Pichler (on left w Howard Brown), who built the most admired OP dealer on the planet in the 'Golden OP' era. The beautiful modern Eastman 400sq.ft facility in LA was the centre of innovation in design, hospitality & systems. We recalled the great times with the legend last Monday. Updated
Envoy packages
The hygiene & packaging market's rapid roll up is racing ahead. FEMSA's Envoy and Advent's Imperial lead the way in acquiring US jansan and packaging dealers. Envoy ceo Mark Fisher announced the acquisition of a large NJ industrial packaging reseller (Its 4th in 2023) complementing its growing northeast presence
Newell's 'nowhere
Newell Brands, a $9Bn house of business & consumer brands, sales plummeted in Q4'22, with declining volumes of home, commercial and writing products, offset by high price inflation. Ex-Office Max ceo Ravi Saligram is retiring after failing to recover losses and 'fiddling while the house burns', with cheesy, cost cutting project diversions; including mass layoffs. Updated
Sylvamo sink saved
Top international packaging maker International Paper, spun off its papermaking unit in Oct'21, now renamed Sylvamo (shampoo?). New ceo Jean-Michel Ribiéras' opaque report distracted from sinking volumes, by priding itself on "outstanding" price inflated sales and profits,
Heralding in stock
The powerful presence of OP wholesalers has rapidly diminished by half, over the last 15yrs, from a mixture of AMAZONIFICATION & incompetent, self destructive management. Vultures killed Spicers to be revived partly by Paragon/SPOT; & VC Endless has endured continuous VOW failure. Can the current, narrowline, depleted versions survive? Updated
Insight recovery
Insight Group ceo Joyce Mullen reported declining organic sales in Q4'22. The group lags leading IT resellers e.g. CDW, Computacenter, Softcat & Synnex. There are encouraging signs of services growth as it plays catch up.
Sealed Air: down,
Sealed Air Corp, the $5Bn+ maker of protective packaging for Food & FM products reported depressed results in Q4'22. CEO Ted Doheny seemed satisfied considering its decline in a buoyant market; and an obvious loss of market share, saved only by price hikes. Analysis here
Pepsi price hikes
PepsiCo the $86Bn giant food & beverages marketer to consumers and business continued to outperform its rivals in sales growth, excellence, innovative snacks & nutrition in Q4'22, CEO Ramon Laguarta was pleased with results but price hikes disguised slight volume declines Analysis here
Unilever appoints
Unilever, the $60Bn+ hygiene, personal care, food & refreshments giant reported inflated sales growth in Q4'22. Departing ceo Alan Jope commented on developments in nutrition and personal care brands, but failed to achieve real growth in a buoyant market. New ceo starts 1July'23. Analysis here
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