Page 25 - BOSS Today Issue 20

enhancing their Interestingly, amongst the “The contract stationers. have to change again.
relationships from every wholesalers there was an They are all flagging. We will still be around
sector of the supply agreement that VOW had It’s symptomatic of the for a long time to come
chain: manufacturers, had a good year: market. Corporate OP and be more vibrant
wholesalers, contract buyers want to spend than ever!”
stationers, dealer “Us! We’ve never less and buy cheaper Michael Gardner
groups, independent switched more resellers now. The old model
dealers, retailers and than we did in 2013: 21 of making up margin “Quite confident. We are
service providers. dealers have gone to us outside the core list a tenacious bunch at all
this year so far. We’ve doesn’t work any more.” levels in this industry,
3. The Young Managers’ also seen major market Robert Baldrey and it’s the survival of
Conference: this is share wins.” the fittest! The arrival of
developing the next Robert Baldrey Outside of this, there was a the new entrants from
generation of directors general acceptance that anyone the US in the 1990s did
and CEOs, and they will “Believe it or not, I do primarily - or strongly - involved not kill off the OP dealer
shape the OP industry of think VOW were one of in traditional paper-based community, after all.
the future.” them! Their model is stationery products (or having We will survive and do
Michael Gardner traditional, while we conventional business models) nicely in 2014, except
played the change would have lost out in 2013: for the traditional OP
Overall, who were the card, so they will have manufacturers and
4winners in 2013? picked some traditional “The big paper resellers. We need to
Unsurprisingly, three of the business up from us. stationery producers. adapt to the changing
‘seven wise men’ specifically In 2013 that might Anyone who is heavily landscape, and
cited Amazon as one of the have saved them: it’s involved in paper. A there are a lot of new
winners in 2013: certainly not done them tough future is in store opportunities going into
any harm. Also, some of for such players.” FM, janitorial, catering,
“Amazon!” the local dealers that Sean Starkey workwear etc.”
Philip Beer have got a strategy built Sean Starkey
around local supply will “Any reseller who stays
Beyond this, a couple of have been less exposed traditional in terms of Certainly, the need to embrace
respondents believed that some to market change what they sell and how new product categories was not
of the specialist distributors had conditions. It proves they sell it (ie on-line lost on the dealer groups:
also done well: that the ‘glocal’ and social media).”
movement is a reality.” Bob Geens “Things will be slightly
“Tech-based brand Alan Ball better. There will be
owners (including How confident are you more help from the
Westcoast) and those And who were the 6about the prospects for economy: more of a
selling products on the 5losers in 2013? the UK OP industry in 2014? feelgood factor amongst
back of smart phones Three respondents were Virtually all of the respondents the dealer community.
and tablet devices adamant that it was the contract were very confident about Dealers will have woken
(eg Kensington).” stationers who had fared worst 2014, provided that the up and smelled the
Sean Starkey this year: industry continued to make the coffee...”
necessary changes. As many Bob Geens
This point was reiterated and “The ‘big boxes’ and pointed out, the UK OP industry
expanded by Michael Gardner the contract stationers. is resilient and has survived However, one manufacturer
into the FM supplies category: They have shown their challenging times in previous warned that this change may
true colours now; they years: not necessarily be for the better
“Those who were new can’t mask it any more. for everyone:
entrants to the market The contract stationers “Our industry is realistic
(eg JanSan) and those have lost because and pragmatic. We have “The industry will have
specialising in niche whole departments in had major changes to adapt to the reducing
markets.” the corporate sector are before (eg when the demands of the sectors
Michael Gardner going paperless.” contract stationers and that have fed it for
Alan Ball retailers came in), and so long... this means
we accept that we will less room for all and

December 2013/January 2014 | BOSS TODAY 25

Review.indd 5 02/12/2013 11:41