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26 Aug 23

Updated: 28 Aug 23

Halting Hygiene

market normalizes

Volume & prices weaker
Who's winning mkt share?

Hygiene is now #1 business supply category alongside technology. Progressive business suppliers & brands have pivoted into hygiene, safety, food service, packaging & wellness services. Proficiency Index Q2'23 analysis shows volumes declined in a weak market. Updated & Complete

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23 Mar 23

Updated: 25 Mar 23

Furniture mkt on
high hybrid alert!

Corp office recovery softer.
Strong WFH demand slows

Furniture Market Review Q4'22-23: Covid crushed the corporate furniture market. Leading makers still report -30% demand declines compared with the 2019 norm. During Covid, WFH suppliers like Amazon, Wayfair, DWR (MillerKnoll) exploded with record revenues, now normalizing. We review leaders disappointing results and the new hybrid work developments accelerating the wellness & ergonomics movement e.g. Fellowes. Updated for Steelcase/MillerKnoll

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10 Mar 23

Updated: 16 Mar 23

Bouncebackability
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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8 Mar 23

Updated: 9 Mar 23

Top 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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7 Jan 23

Updated: 25 Jan 23

Renaissance 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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30 Dec 22

Updated: 6 Jan 23

Market 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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29 Dec 22

Updated: 30 Dec 22

Market 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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24 Dec 22

Updated: 24 Dec 22

Top 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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23 Dec 22

Updated: 24 Dec 22

Best 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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13 Dec 22

Updated: 13 Dec 22

Dealer 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...