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  • resilient leaders 23Bouncebackability
    Index Leaderboard

    Q4'22 analysis highlights
    resilient Winners v Losers


    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

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  • Screen Shot 2022 12 09 at 2.14.03 PMHealthy Hygiene
    market normalizes

    Who won/lost market share?
    Price inflation average +12%


    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

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  • women marketeers top 9 jul16Top 50 Women
    Marketers 2023

    Leaders in creativity, sales,
    brand growth performance


    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.

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  • Screen Shot 2023 02 26 at 2.18.29 PMOffice Mkt Legends
    reunited in renewal

    MegaIndy leaders:Bigeard,
    Meehan+Sargent BOS mtg


    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 

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  • Screen Shot 2023 02 24 at 2.48.36 PMHybrid work future
    hollows corp space

    Entrepreneurs' rise drives
    up 'officeless' productivity;
    less latency eg. commuting


    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

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resilient leaders 23Bouncebackability
Index Leaderboard

Q4'22 analysis highlights
resilient Winners v Losers


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

Read more ...

Subscribe to read!

Screen Shot 2022 12 09 at 2.14.03 PMHealthy Hygiene
market normalizes

Who won/lost market share?
Price inflation average +12%


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

Read more ...

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hybrid office zoom mtg 22Furniture mkt on
high hybrid alert!

Corp office recovery soft.
Strong WFH demand slows


Furniture Market Review Q4'22: Covid crushed the corporate furniture market. Leading makers reported -30% demand declines, still nwell below 2019 norm. Meanwhile, WFH suppliers like Amazon, Wayfair, DWR (MillerKnoll) exploded with record revenues, now normalizing. We review leaders and new hybrid work developments accelerating the worklife confluence, wellness & ergonomics movement e.g. Fellowes

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women marketeers top 9 jul16Top 50 Women
Marketers 2023

Leaders in creativity, sales,
brand growth performance


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.

Read more ...

Subscribe to read!

Screen Shot 2022 12 31 at 1.33.46 PMRenaissance or

Recession hype? 

Who will seize personalized
productivity services mkt?
Top 20 Predictions for '23


What will happen in 2023 with Economy: Inflation? Leaders Amazon, Apple, SPLS-Essendant, CNG-SPR, Advent-Imperial, FEMSA-Envoy, WBMason, HP, Uline, EVO-VOW, Paragon-Spicers, Lyreco, Raja, Bunzl, independent dealers, dealer groups, wholesalers, furnituremakers, paper-printermakers, MPS, OP makers; foodservice; hygiene suppliers; packaging; AI, cybersecurity; Hybrid-WFH; B2U marketing trends? PP's Top 20 predictions.

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Screen Shot 2022 12 02 at 2.32.23 PMMarket Review'22 
July-Dec Analysis

Inflation eases OPocalypse
Hygiene M&A's accelerate


The global economy 'normalized' to pre Covid levels with industry sales and profits boosted by double-digit rates of inflation. Paperless offices accelerated, ironically as papermakers' profits soared, whilst volumes sank. The vultures' graveyard gravitated as hygiene suppliers' consolidation accelerated. Hybrid WFH dominated as <50% workers yet to return to corp offices. We chronicle the main events between Jul-Dec'22. Complete

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Inflation bubble manMarket Review'22 
Jan-June Analysis

Inflation hikes sales-profits
amid industry M&A mania


The global economy started to 'normalize' post Covid with industry sales and profits boosted by double-digit rates of inflation. The paperless office accelerated, ironically as papermakers profits soared as volumes declined. The vultures' graveyard gravtated. Hybrid WFH dominated as <50% returned to corp offices. We chronicle the main events between Jan-Jun'22. Complete

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MA Trends 22Top Biz Supply
M&A's in 2022

Tech, Hygiene, OP, MPS
Pkg, deals in recovery year


The Covid aftermath devastated many small businesses and accelerated negative consolidation. Meanwhile, consequential high inflation boosted industry profits short term. Thankfully,  progressive M&A trends towards a 'paperless, officeless' more hygienic future driven by IT surged, offsetting negative consolidation. We review the top positive & negative deals of 2022. 26Dec'22

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Top Performers 2022Best Performers
Review of 2022

Leaders, brands, web,
products, productivity,
services, ads, greenest


The #OPocalypse aka perfect storm that impacted the market in 2019; intensified in 2020 with Covid disruption; then recovered through 21/22 fueled by huge inflation, WFH tech, hygiene & packaging demand. Even progressive business suppliers suffered, but many pivoted quickly and profitably. Proficiency Index reviews the best performers: the #1 winner of which was undoubtedly M r. I N F L A T I O N

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Meehan Leo WBMason Pied Piper2 thumb RS120 120Dealer Champions
of Productivity '22

Will leaner stocking dealers
improve beyond $500k/ee?


We are finalising the Proficiency Index Dealer Productivity Championship 2022.. Sales/employee is the most universally accepted indicator of dealer profitability in the absence of private info. Leading dealers have submitted sales forecasts for 2022 + current employee numbers (FTE's). If your dealer has $400k+ sales/FTE please email your numbers to me...

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