Office Supplies Continued…

What Markets are Available?

The Office Supplies market has undergone some significant changes in recent years. Once dominated by catalog retailers, local shops and contract stationers, the introduction of superstores and the Internet has precipitated changes. Here is a brief rundown of the choices:

1. Superstores. Once the denizen of home office and small office customers, the superstores have burgeoned and now serve a broad spectrum of small, middle and large companies. Giants like Staples now offer brick-and-mortar, online, and contract services for upwards of 25,000 different products and services.
2. Contract Stationers. The line between contract stationers and superstores has blurred. Consolidation in the market has found many contractors bought out by superstores or merged with superstores. Contract stationers offer a broad range of products, customized pricing, multi-site delivery and full service for client companies. OfficeMax is a good example of a contract stationer merged with a superstore. They recently were acquired by stationer giant Boise Cascade and now combine the best of both worlds for their customers.
3. Online Retailers. A large segment of Office Supply retailers are cyberstores. These stores offer large selections and many offer discount prices. The quality of service and ease of ordering vary widely among these stores. You will find experienced retailers like GreenLightOffice.com and Cheap Office Supplies ready to meet your Office Supply needs.
4. Catalog Vendors. Not quite dinosaurs yet, but losing ground due to online retailer inroads into the market. Selection and delivery can be limited.

Service

Service is a huge factor when selecting your Office Supply retailer. After all, if you have to deliver that report tomorrow you don't want your copier paper delivered “sometime” next week. When you choose an online retailer for your Office Supplies confidence in their ability to deliver items in sufficient quantity to meet your needs and within short notice—say 24 hours—is a must. Look for shipping guarantees, clearly stated shipping times and shipments accomplished via well-known regional or national carriers.

Customer service should be provided on a 24-hour basis. If you have questions regarding an item or your order, help needs to be easily accessible as well as courteous and knowledgeable. 800 number phone service, fast email response and even chat-based service are good options.

Ordering

Ordering Office Supplies can be time consuming; a sophisticated retailer will offer catalog quick ordering, maintain a list of the items you order most frequently, maintain your account information so that it doesn't need to be entered with each order and offer ordering via FAX or phone in addition to web. When you order online, a retailer should send you an order confirmation immediately. This allows you to check the accuracy of pricing and shipping information. If you order via a contract stationer, customized ordering forms may be created for you. For larger companies it is common for a contractor to set up intranet/internet ordering software thus allowing anyone, anywhere within the company to order supplies.

Returning an item should be as easy as ordering one. Check for a return policy that includes return shipping. Be aware that many firms will charge a restocking fee on higher priced items.

Selection

Traditionally, the widest selection of Office Supplies has been found through the contract stationers. Online retailers and superstores are challenging contractors with a wide selection of thousands of items. Your choice of Office Supply retailer will depend on the types of items your business uses the most. It is a good idea to make a list of your top 15-20 necessities and shop a variety of retailers for both price and availability. Also, make sure the products you want are available from respected manufacturers. If you do not do your homework, you could end up with inferior quality items that will need to be replaced much sooner than you anticipated.

By MS Kauffman