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
Back to School
CNBC highlighted Proficiency Post's BTS'15 spend trends article on the conflicting forecasts by NRF/ICSC. We both feel the latter duo have got it wrong again.
HP's own goal
If HP chief Meg Whitman's not fiddling with logos, she's planning to shift the uniform workstyle of young tech programmers. Meg, for the 11th time of asking: Where's your growth strategy?
Depot's deep
Office Depot's stockmarket cap has fallen 16% since the #SPLODGE deal was announced. Investors don't think the merger will happen. Mercenary management is frozen, hoping the deal happens. Can it survive if Staples don't arrive? Complete
Gig Economy
Despite the hoopla over Uber, AirBnB and the sharing economy, Americans are becoming less likely to be self-employed, hold multiple jobs, according to data reports
Starbux mobilize
Mobile Order & Pay, Starbucks’ iPhone app that enables customers to order ahead, is one of several game-changing initiatives it believes will deliver world-class service and convenience.
Samsung: Apple
Samsung's heir apparent Jay Y. Lee wants to transform the world’s biggest tech company into most innovative. Samsung reports Q2'15 results on Thursday...
6 Reasons to
Arthur Brooks wrote a highly relevant op-ed in NY Times calling for leaders to stop choosing darkness over optimism. He was talking politics. We feel this could equally apply to how OP dealers fear their future in the burgeoning business supply market.
AMZN wins web
After a stellar Q2 earnings report, #1 etailer Amazon hit a huge milestone by becoming more valuable than the biggest retailer in the world, Walmart. We review comparisons and prospects
Native naturally
'Native' advertising is one of the hottest topics in digital media, less disruptive and more effective than pop-ups and banners, especially on mobile users Twitter accounts
HP Sprout 3D ad:
HP is mounting a major PR/TV ad campaign ahead of its major company split. The contrast between the Sprout and the faceless 'Further (aka fatter) Faster' couldn't be more stark. We discuss...
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