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
Softer Economy,
Sales & profits at big US firms are in decline for the first time since 2008. Some say spending is down or are they losing out to Amazon?
PaprlinX reverts
Paperlinx shareholders have voted to rename the company Spicers as its chairman called 2015 “challenging and transformative year”.
Xerox on a
Xerox Corporation reported awful results for Q3'15 as . When will its much heralded services drive produce growth? When will expectations rise? CEO Ursula Burns is under pressure
Hi Sally: it's only
Time to go beyond the paperclip... go beyond the buyer. There are less than 3000 OP dealers in the US/UK (20,000 1990), the majority of whom are still order-taking, paper-based sellers. Time to step up and provide personalised productivity services...
World #1 retailer Walmart (inc. ASDA) seeks to boost sales with fewer products, adding to tensions with suppliers and playing into Amazon's nands
Dixons drive
Dixons Carphone has swooped on a technology servicing and repair company in Scandinavia, bolstering its defences against rivals such as Amazon.
Progressives
We've visited most of the leading progressive business supply resellers in the UK. They're mostly positive, optimistic and expanding but frustrated with restrictive wholesaler support... Updated
Staples founder
Sadly, Tom Stemberg, Staples founder & creator of the office superstore, died yesterday at home, near Boston, 2 years after he was diagnosed with gastric cancer. We publish our tribute to the original OP market disruptor
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola said that foreign-exchange headwinds likely will worsen next year and could spill into 2017 and beyond as the strengthening dollar continues to weigh on US multinationals amid overseas volatility.
Loser Lexmark
Lexmark International is exploring strategic alternatives including a possible sale of the company, Could this move prove another blow to HP preoccupied by its major #SH-PLIT?
"Tomorrow's News Today,
not yesterday's news tomorrow."
