Packaging power
The hygiene & packaging market looks alot like the glorious 80/90's days in OP. Consolidation of regional independents in a market with 10%+ growth fuelled by WFH/ecommerce, led by the major players e.g. ULine and venture capital funds. We review, analyse leaders and trends....
Kaluzny skins SPLS
Former bigbox giants Staples & Office Depot ($52Bn sales 2007) have been destroyed by a mix of incompetence and vulture capitalist's greed. Today, aggregate sales are $19Bn sinking at a $2Bnpa rate. What are the motivations of Sycamore's Stefan Kaluzny and Depot's ceo Gerry 'Bizarro' Smith? We review and comment...
Can dealers svc
Corporations are adjusting rapidly to the hybrid work future. Flexible work is here to stay. How will dealers adapt to a new norm where empowered users order business supplies online, in smaller quantities, expecting the immediate home delivery advanced by Amazon? What will they do to upgrade webstores and broaden ranges to minimise the higher cost to serve? We discuss....
Depot's charade
ODP Corp aka Office Depot has decided to delay previously announced plans to split into two public companies to "mull over sale offers for its retail division", sending its shares up 10%. This bigbox game of charades is a joke; a disintegrating mess run by a bunch of self serving simpletons...
2022 Business
Are we heralding in the Roaring 20's? Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Shopify have M-powered a new entrepreneurial revolution with affordable personal tech & immediate delivery. Covid advanced 2025 trends: #Paperless #Officeless #Touchless #Bigless #Wasteless & #Carbonless. WFH told us to connect with users by providing personalised productivity services + integrated same-day delivery. We guide on how dealers can take charge of their destiny? New Report inc. 2021 Market Review published today!
Fastenal steadfast
Fastenal, the $6Bn in sales, US reseller of MRO & vending supplies, powered ahead in Q4'21 with strong fastener sales and safety supplies in recovery aided by higher prices across the board
P&G's powerful
Procter & Gamble (PG), the leading personal, home & business care brandmaker, continued to report healthy results in Q2'22. Powerful marketing & ad campaigns are winning market share in towels, tissues & detergents eg Charmin, Dawn, Bounty, Tide & Febreze
JBHunt high on
JBHunt the $12Bn US transportation giant reported strong demand in Q4'21. Long haul demand recovered strongly enhanced by integrated capacity, higher value truck loads for essential goods
Unilever under
It's all happening at hygiene giant Unilever. £7Bn was wiped off its market cap today amid worries over a major takeover move for Glaxo’s healthcare division. Meanwhile, an influential shareholder has voiced criticism of ceo Alan Jope for obsessing about sustainability v fundamental profit growth performance. We analyse developments
BiC inks big D2C
As consumer attitudes shift towards personalisation and creativity, pen and shaver maker BiC is expanding its focus on human expression through the acquisition of an industry leader. BiC aims to be a market leader of the DIY skin creative market...
Veritiv vexation.
Bain Capital held a 15% stake in paper & packaging wholesaler Veritiv up until 2019 when it bought competitor Imperial Dade and made 27 acquisitions through Jan'22. There was speculation Bain would buy Veritiv as a distribution platform for Imperial...market cap was extremely low. Still on or will Bain invest in its own platform?
Economic relief
As government economic relief ends there has been a wave of OP dealers offering themselves for urgent sale. Meanwhile, wholesalers are raising service charges? The perfect storm of weaker 'holesale support; higher WFH 'cost to serve' delivery; #AMAZONIFICATION; slow supply chain and continuing Covid imperil dealers future....
PC "centre of work,
Market researchers Canalys and Gartner data showed PC sales continued to grow at double-digit%'s in 2021, but analysts offered different assessments of Q4 2021/22 trends. We analyse the performance of leaders Lenovo, HP and Dell....
Manutan makes
Manutan the €800m in sales, European business supplies distributor reported staedy growth results in Q1'22. Based on the failures of Staples, Office Depot it may be winning market share in a Covid hit marketplace. We speak with ceo Xavier Guichard
FedEx/UPS hike
Leading transportation giants FedEx and UPS announced identical price increases in January'22 after double-digit price hikes in 2021. The duopoly have been acting in unison for years without FTC challenge, skewering SMB's and consumers alike. Meanwhile, Amazon's expanding fleet has overtaken the complacent colluders...
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