Page 15 - BOSS Today Issue 18

“The market is now

worth around c£8.5bn at user
buying price (uBp). That’s some

40% larger than some estimates

of the whole of the traditional

Op market.”

FM SupplieS: Mountain

or Molehill?

comprising sales of tea and hand protection products. the whole of the traditional OP
coffee, but also including n Mailroom & Packaging market.
soft drinks, water, Supplies: this, the smallest, But if the OP market is in
confectionery, snacks, category, is very difficult overall decline, is the same
paper disposables and to quantify – particularly the true of the FM supplies sector?
breakroom equipment packaging element. The general view is that overall
(eg kettles and toasters). end-user demand for these
n Health & Safety Equipment, So how big is it, then? products has been fairly steady
Workwear & Supplies: the Using the above definitions, overall, although this varies by
fourth largest category, and removing domestic category:
worth c£700m at purchases of these products, n Catering Supplies: demand
manufacturer prices. This (eg households buying jars for coffee is growing, spurred
is also very diverse, although of coffee or electric drills for on by the ‘Starbucks effect’.
the bulk of it is PPE (personal DIY purposes), MWA believes Tea drinking is in long term
protection equipment), that the market is now worth decline, however, with the
which includes eye, face around c£8.5bn at user buying result that - for the first time
and fall protection, as well as price (UBP). That’s some 40% - the ratio of tea consumed
workwear, respiratory and larger than some estimates of to coffee is now 1:1.

July/August 2013 | BOSS TODAY 15

FM supplies.indd 3 25/07/2013 15:37