WIDE OPEN SPACE

Facilities supplies is a fast-growing area for many dealers, with increasing numbers of customers looking for sanjan, signs and catering supplies, as well as more traditional office supplies

he COVID-19 T pandemic provided many lessons for office products suppliers, and one of the most important for many was the necessity of a diverse portfolio of products – outside of traditional office supplies – to offer to existing customers and help attract new ones.

When the first lockdown was announced in March 2020 many dealers quickly set up lines of PPE and sanitising products, which were welcomed by customers and often bought in large quantities. Since then these lines have become established sellers and are now standard products for many companies. It wasn’t just regular office customers who bought these products, but other businesses, such as those involved in warehouse-based operations, too.

What this showed many office supplies companies was that they could establish new product lines – and the supply chain behind it – quickly; these lines often bring them into contact with new customers in previously untapped sectors and, most significantly, add to their bottom line. In pandemic times, this was often crucial to a business’ survival.

DIVERSE PORTFOLIO

As Lawrence Savage, marketing manager at ExaClair, notes, it is increasingly important for dealers to be able to offer a more diverse portfolio as they continue their postpandemic recovery.

“With a greater emphasis on the growing consumer demand for more product innovation, especially in relation to sustainability and equipment suited to an ever-rising number of nomadic workers, it’s key for dealers to expand upon their traditional selection to offer products that are more adaptable and eco-friendlier without compromising on quality,” he says.

“Initially the pandemic drove a surge in PPE and antimicrobial equipment - which is a trend set to continue as businesses continue to adapt to the modern working environment.

“In addition to these categories, the industry has seen an uptake in office product suppliers looking to broaden their scope into areas such as safety and social distancing signage, print services, waste management and promotional merchandise.”

Lawrence adds that these trends prompted ExaClair to develop and launch the new range of Exacompta signage and display products.

CONTINUING TREND

As we move to a post-pandemic economic phase, with all social distancing requirements abandoned – at the time of writing – and more people return to the office, Lawrence believes these trends will continue.

“Many dealers are now developing how they assist customers with varying technological support,” he says. “With more employees returning to work a number of dealers are looking to offer extra solutions in relation to touchless technologies, smart PPE, temperature sensors and UV cleaning for air filtration systems.”

Martin Shaw, managing director of D3 Office Group, agrees that the trend of dealers

broadening their product range will continue. His own company moved successfully into PPE and janitorial products supply during the pandemic and is now keen to broaden the product mix further, looking at everything from tech products, to tools, to signage.

“The pandemic has sped up the decline of the traditional core office supplies market a bit, but there are still lots of opportunities and one of those is selling technology products,” he says. “It’s a shift to a different product mix we are looking at, and selling different products to our customer base.

“The concept of wide aisle is there for us to grasp. We aren’t going to become the ‘Amazon’ to business but, rather, the knowledgeable centre of buying whatever you want to get. As long as we open up those new supplier relationships and new product areas – and the price is right – we really open up a new land of opportunity.”

CATERING

Another route is to offer restaurant-style food for staff in businesses based in offices without a canteen. While many office supplies companies have provided things like tea and coffee for years, few have extended to full food offerings, but this now could create an opportunity for some.

There are already online providers such as Feedr, which provides a range of services, from daily canteen services to event catering and even home deliveries to businesses in London, Manchester and Dublin. Their daily service allows employees to choose their own meals, and they are delivered in eco-friendly packaging. The company was acquired by Compass Group last year.

“Catering is an extremely competitive area, and there is a rising demand for more ecologically aware products,” says Lawrence.

However, he warns that dealers should be wary of diversifying too much. “The key for dealers is to not spread themselves too thinly when diversifying, and to concentrate on those products which might be suited to current customers, as well as being ideal for opening up to new customer groups,” he says.

Diversifying their product range into different sectors, and offering a more facilities supplies-style service can help dealers to maximise their sales - but it can also provide an opportunity to build a more fruitful relationship with their customers that has greater longevity, Lawrence says.

“By offering a more ‘one-stop shop’ package to their clients, a dealer can more effectively access the advantages of cross-selling products and services,” he says. “For instance, if they are a specialist in office furniture, why not look to include items such as stationery, water coolers, signage and other complementary equipment that can complete the bundle?”

The industry has seen an uptake in office product suppliers looking to broaden their scope