Fellowes contract furniture moves

Marketing recognition for Printus’ Gerardi-Schmid

Vicky Gerardi-Schmid, VP International at leading German online reseller Printus, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the country’s Direct Marketing Association (DDV).

Gerardi-Schmid was presented with the honour at the recent general assembly and 75th anniversary of the DDV in Frankfurt. She has close ties with the association as Patron of the Alfred Gerardi Memorial Prize, which each year rewards three outstanding students in the direct marketing field.

Gerardi-Schmid was also included in OPI’s inaugural list of the 50 most influential women in the business products world (see Special Feature, OPI March 2023, page 30)

Fellowes Brands has said it will transition its two contract furnishing businesses to the group’s brand name this year. The firm formed a Contract Interiors unit in June 2020, shortly after COVID-19 first hit. This unified the Trendway and ESI brands (acquired in 2019 and 2017 respectively) under a single functional team.

Now, the vendor has announced that both of these names will transition to the Fellowes brand in the first half of 2023.

Over the course of the year, Fellowes also said it will expand its name beyond workspace products to a broader range of ‘WorkLife’ solutions – including modular walls, select furniture, business machines, commercial air purification systems and commercial-grade workspace products and capabilities.

€12.4 billion

Estimated value of the German stationery, paper and office supplies market in 2030, a decline of more than 15% compared with 2019 Source: Marketmedia24

WeWork makes history WH Smith launches new brand

Retailer WH Smith is launching a number of high-end stationery and gift shops in the UK under a new banner called Curi.o.city. Filling a void left by the collapse of Paperchase, the stores will initially be located at major airports and railway stations.

5 billion

Number of entries in password breach database kept by IT compliance company Authlogics

Name change for NPD

Point-of-sale insights firm The NPD Group has rebranded to Circana. The change comes following its merger with IRI in August 2022.

27,000 Staff layoffs announced by Amazon since the start of 2023

Co-working giant WeWork achieved the first adjusted EBITDA positive month in the company’s history in December 2022 as it makes progress with its turnaround strategy. As a caveat, FY2022 adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $477 million.

Cricket legend named Luxor brand ambassador

Stationery manufacturer Luxor Writing Instruments has appointed Indian cricket star Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador. The move is aimed at strengthening Luxor’s appeal among young people in India and cementing its reputation as a high-quality brand.

Kohli will also promote products emanating from a new partnership between Luxor and Germany’s Schneider Pen as the vendor looks to develop its presence in the Indian market.