Amazon purges
Amazon has abruptly stopped buying products from many of its wholesalers, sowing panic. The move aims to cut distribution costs, shift the burden of delivery to vendors. to increase its own profitability...
2019 Business
Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, WeWork & Uber have M-powered a new entrepreneurial revolution with affordable personal tech & immediate delivery services. Wholesalers have failed to help OP resellers connect with users by providing personalised productivity services + integrated same-day delivery. How should dealers take charge of their own destiny in this difficult situation? Report complete inc. 2018 US/UK Market Review. Updated
The rise & rise
The rise of the conscious consumer has pushed resellers to be more transparent & source aware. Ethical decisions presents a perpetual dilemma but increasingly businesswomen will make that buying choice
The US/Euro
We forecast a US economic slowdown on 20 Aug'18 based on declining growth rates reported by business supplies' makers from Q2'18 thru' Q4'18 plus, pessimistic CEO 2019 outooks. It's happening! So what should dealers do now? Later today
O u t s i z e d
The major 'Business Process Outsourcing BPO' firms are in a death rattle. Interserve is the latest example to join the collapse of Carillion, Capita & Serco. Corporations are moving to specialist managed service providers, rather than 'everything to everybody' pretenders. Is the game over for outsourcing giants?
Rethink the retail
As large chain stores struggle to compete with the rise of online sales, independent and artisan retailers are stepping up to take their place on the high/main street
IWD2019: Women
Ahead of International Women's Day today, ten of the IT channel's top female leaders came together to discuss how to address the industry's gender deficit
Costco chasing
Costco Wholesale reported Q2'19 results with strong growth maintained for the $150Bn broadline consumer & business supplies reseller. It's transforming its woeful webstore & etail efforts to compete with Amazon. Updated
Stratasys stalls
Stratasys (MakerBot) like all other leaders in the 3D printing market, reported continued declines in demand. The bubble has truly burst just as the late again HP entered the fray with a production market model ....
Tech Data turbo
Tech Data, the $37Bn in sales global #2 wholesaler of tech products reported strong results for Q4'19. The Avnet acquisition lifted sales & it is now challenging leader Ingram strongly
No tissues
Kruger (aka KP Tissue), the Canada based leading international brand tissue maker, continued to win share in the US consumer & business supply market with its quality brands drive, boosted by price rises
Computacenter's
Giant international IT resellers Computacenter has built on last year's acquisitions of US-based FusionStorm and Misco's Dutch business.
Logitech lifts on
Logitech gained 3% pre-stockmarket open today, has affirmed double digit sales growth and powerful operating profits in 2019
Target maintains
Target, the $74Bn in sales US retailer, reported strong comparable sales growth both in-store & online in Q4'18. Bold CEO Brian Cornell is confounding critics and investing in new products & inventory to facilitate future demand
Staples spells out
Staples' 2017 European spin off Staples Solutions, held a vendor presentation in Amsterdam yesterday to clarify its 'Transformation Plan' as a result of declining sales. CEO Dolf Westerbos is on a recovery mission....
Salesforce soars
CRM #1 provider Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff (pic left) brimmed with enthusiasm about its tremendous growth trends in Q4'19 with the magical $20Bn in view for 2020...
"Tomorrow's News Today,
not yesterday's news tomorrow."
Death of Indie
Does size matter? The office market over the past 35yrs has been dominated by bigboxes & Amazon's lead in business supplies, points to a continuation. But emerging trends show the big guys are declining fast & Amazon peaking. The rise of progressive resellers providing 'personalised productivity services' embracing mobile technology, can & will succeed.. Tomorrow
'Industry Week'
The Business Supplies Association (BSA) plan to rationalise vendors' heavy schedule of 20+pa shows & create an 'Industry Week' has been quashed. Understandably, leading wholesalers & resellers wouldn't cooperate. Great idea, so what's Plan B? We feel consideration be given to a more customer centric 'Business Productivity Show' for the IDC. We spoke w/BSA pres Barry Lane... Monday
Do Workplace
Company workplace wellness programs — efforts to get workers to lose weight, eat better, stress less and sleep more — are an $8 billion industry in the U.S. Recent research reports heathier behaviour, but not necessarily healthier results? We discuss findings...
User behaviour
Marketing Week's Charlotte Rogers reports that research shows marketers are shifting away from classic demographics to find more accurate ways to segment users based on their behaviour and personal interests...Updated
Sycamore Partnrs:
Vulture capitalist Sycamore Partners owner of Staples & Essendant recently hiked the former's debt load by $1Bn to $5.2Bn, with estimated interest payments of $400m+ pa or c3%/sales. Many analysts ask: Is this a repeat of the ToysR Us bankruptcy situation; and Sycamore's Nine West demise? We discuss... Complete
Retail retreat
The NYTimes reported yesterday that "planned retail store closures in the US already exceed 2018 total". A similar story applies in bigbox business supplies, with Staples & Depot expected to merge or accelerate closures this year...
Staples rebrand
Staples rebrand of its logo, webstore and 5 new private labels under the 'WorklifeFulfilment' byline has attracted much interest in marketing circles e.g. Forbes. We discuss the comments, criticisms and conclusions ...Updated
Marketing to baby
Marketing segmentation this century has coralled consumers into age groups: Baby Boomers, 'GenY' aka 'Millennials' & 'GenZ'. Its not working its 'marketing mush'. It's more about attitude not age writes FT's Michael Skarpinker
Batten down for
Economic data across advanced global economies have deteriorated since Q3'18, indicating fading growth and the need to prepare for slowing demand reports the Financial Times. Gear your business to help customers save money & time... Provide Managed Productivity Services! Here's how....
Private L a b e l
Staples launch of 'Worklife Fulfilment' products is the latest bigbox to push private label following Amazon, Depot's Workonomy; and fated Adveo & old OfficeMax iterations. Meanwhile, core delivery service competence drags. What's the motive? Where's the valid user research? Where's the vendor partnership? Updated
'Fakebook' fraud?
A c m e United