Page 12 - BOSS Today Issue 40

BOSS Today #40 NEWS

STAND

BY ME

BOSS Held Its AGM and Members’ Day at Stationers’ Hall on 22 May

hen the night has come and the manufacturers, resellers, sub-groups, Amazon ‘could be beaten’, citing the
“W land is dark, young leaders and government, and a example of WB Mason who, he felt, by
And the moon is the only light we see: raft of services for members to draw ‘standing with’ the wholesalers and
No I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid upon when needed. thereby implementing a stockless and
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.” Graeme Chapman MBE – Chairman same day personalised delivery service
of the BOSS Business Supplies Charity across 14 business supplies categories,
The words of the R&B classic – sung so – developed the “stand by me” theme had grown from sales of $50m in 1995
beautifully by the gospel choir at the further by explaining that over the to a projected $2bn in 2019.
Royal Wedding the previous weekend previous year the industry’s charity The afternoon session saw BPIF
– came easily to mind at Stationers’ had made 170 grants and helped over CEO Charles Jarrold take on that most
Hall on 22 May, when over a hundred 70 families in need. The funds to pay shapeless of looming dark clouds –
industry leaders gathered for the BOSS for these, he explained, came from Brexit. “What does a post-Brexit Britain
AGM and Members’ Day to hear the those who were fortunate enough to mean for our industry?”, he asked,
simple message: “Things may be tough, be able to help, and he applauded the but explained that “Prediction is very
but in tough times we need to stand commitment and generosity of the difficult, especially if it’s about the
together.” BOSS North and Midlands Committees, future!” Certainly, things had changed
The benefits of so doing were clear the Climb Of Life walkers, the attendees since the referendum: paper prices
from the start of the day, when BOSS of the BOSS Awards and Charity Day have increased; access to skilled labour
President Geoff Betts took us through and the Society Of Old Friends, from is tightening; confidence levels have
the first and most formal part of the whom he accepted a cheque for £1,000 yo-yo’d. However, despite this, Jarrold
day: “It’s been an exciting year for (pictured). Chapman concluded by pointed out, the industry has survived
BOSS,” he exclaimed “and we have more thanking Roger Murphy and Stanley and will continue to do so as long as
credibility than ever before!” Certainly, Vaughan for all their hard work on we stand together: “BPIF and BOSS will
th
its 113 AGM proved that, despite these behalf of the charity over many years. continue to engage with government to
turbulent times, BOSS was thriving: Before lunch, Proficiency Group CEO represent the industry’s interests and
Treasurer Robert Jenkins’s financial Peter Frost talked about the changing we remain fairly optimistic.”
report showed that the association competitive environment facing the UK Specialist business supplies industry
had made an £18K trading surplus and business supplies industry by focusing market researcher Martin Wilde put
had retained significant capital funds. on developments in the US: Amazon, he the UK market in the context of global
BOSS CEO Phil Lawson continued claimed, was forecast to reach $250bn industry trends, with a whistle-stop
the positivity by walking through the sales in 2018, with 20% of this coming tour of some of the key findings from
initiatives and impacts that BOSS had from business supplies, while Amazon his recent “State Of The Industry
made during the previous year: more UK, he suggested, would reach $5bn Report” produced in association with
members, greater engagement with in 2018. However, Frost believed that OPI. While the traditional core OP

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