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!
Can anyone
The Proficiency Index annual review of Top Business Supply & Services cities is under review and previous winners, rank high again. Where will the new market epicentre be in 2022?
The Slower Rise of
MPS is dying! Long live "Managed Technology Services' providers that drive productivity improvement for customers. We profile latest progress of the Top 8 resellers that lead the US market in 2021, although slowing in acquisition activity of regional independents....
Power Productivity
What will happen in 2022 with Amazon, Apple, Staples, Essendant, Shopify, SPR, FEMSA, Depot, WBMason, HP, U-Line, Imperial, EVO-VOW, Westcoast, Paragon, Lyreco, Raja, Bunzl, Brady, independent dealers, dealer groups, wholesalers, furnituremakers, paper-printermakers, MPS, OP makers; foodservice; hygiene suppliers; packaging; AI, robotics,Tech, cybersecurity; Hybrid-WFH; B2U marketing trends. PP's Top 20 predictions follow here
Hybrid work calls
The bigbox share of the market crashed again in 2021. Disintegrating Depot & sinking Staples lost another $2Bn sales as Amazon amassed; and Shopify soared. Progressive independent resellers got hammered on OP/MPS & furniture, but agility enabled them to pivot to IT, Hygiene supply in their local WFH market. We review and look forward...
Best Performers
The #OPocalypse aka perfect storm that impacted the office supply market in 2019; worsened in 2020 with Covid disruption; then recovered significantly helped by WFH tech, hygiene & packaging demand in 2021. Even progressive business suppliers suffered, but many pivoted rapidly. Proficiency Index reviews best performers in each category... Complete
Top Biz Supply
The near 2yr Covid pandemic devastated many small businesses and accelerated negative consolidation. Meanwhile, progressive M&A trends towards a 'paperless, officeless' more hygienic future driven by IT surged. We review the top positive & negative deals of 2021. Complete
Market Review'21
The global economy recovered. The paperless office accelerated. The vultures' attack disintegrated. It proved tough for traditional players unable to pivot to hybrid working, but welcome for WFH 'essential' suppliers like Amazon, Target & Shopify + supporting brands. Moreover, acquisition activity escalated in the IT, hygiene, FS and the fading OP space. We chronicle the main events between July to Dec'21. Complete
Market Review'21
The global economy recovered. The paperless office accelerated. The vultures' attack disintegrated. It proved tough for traditional players unable to pivot to hybrid working, but welcome for 'essential' suppliers like Amazon, Target & Shopify + supporting brands. Moreover, WFH specialists eg Best Buy, Home Depot & Wayfair all benefited greatly. We chronicle the main events between Jan-Jun'21
Top 30 Women
Marketing to businesses by brandmakers & resellers has been dominated by men. Now the most successful businesses are increasingly inspired by women leaders. Proficiency Index lists the most prominent women marketers in business supply. We received a strong response given the volatile market inc. new nominations from indy dealers. We publish the'Top 30 Women in Business Supply' Complete
Dealer Champions
We've finalised the Proficiency Index Dealer Productivity Championship 2021 after a 2 year Covid hiatus. Sales/employee is the most universally accepted indicator of dealer profitability in the absence of private info. Leading dealers have submitted sales forecasts for 2021 + current employee numbers (FTE's). Complete
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