30 OPINION
MESSAGE from the Great White North
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hat an extraordinary time to be in our industry. While we have all shared the same experiences, fears and trepidations of a global pandemic, the path forward is brimming with possibilities. I am certain that our sector could face its first meaningful renaissance and opportunity for genuine market growth in recent memory if we can properly identify needs and retain customers. With the reality of hybrid working, there are many emerging work locations that our membership can target to become the supplier of record, for instance. And it’s not just replacement business of consumables and furniture, but rather brand new locations as the home office is returning with a vengeance.
But then again, so is the competition. Never before have this many companies been able to hang a virtual shingle and be in the business supplies space as quickly as is occurring now. Then there’s the world of ‘co-opetition’, with manufacturers also wanting to sell directly to our customer base. These are definitely exciting times to enjoy the intellectual and strategic challenge of finding a long-term, sustainable competitive advantage.
BACK TO BASICS While new in my role at Basics, it means coming back to an industry I had the pleasure of experiencing 25-30 years ago as a young marketing pup for Grand & Toy (see Top 100 – New Entry). The mid-1990s marked an unusual period, with price increases on paper occurring six or seven times in one year once. Actually, that sounds quite familiar right now. It was the start of the mass dealer/retailer explosion, with the arrival of Staples – Business Depot at the time – and the failed effort of Office Depot to gain a foothold in the Canadian market. Many of the brand leaders on the product side, meanwhile, have shown great resilience and strong strategic planning, as the names at the top of the leaderboard have remained the same. At its very core, the industry has not changed dramatically, as it is still the fundamental of identifying customers and making sure our service and price models meet their needs. What is different, of course, is the communication platform of how we let our customers know about our offerings. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn were little more than either a twinkle in someone’s mind or an incubator business that had not yet reached its potential. The internet was there, but not nearly as fully developed, and no one had harnessed its power the way many operators have today. What is also exciting for me to see since I was last here is the steady expansion into new product categories. Whether it is the opportunism of PPE, the move to jan/san or breakroom products, all manner of facilities management requirements, or the options surrounding a wireless home office or commercial space, the potential is endless.
THE NEED FOR PARTNERSHIPS While there will always be a healthy negotiation over price, supply chain and logistics between supplier and dealer, now is also the time for strong strategic partnerships and conversations about how to keep that elusive end-user satisfied. As customer loyalty diminishes, creativity and value need to be constantly modified to retain business. We’re heading into the new, uncharted territory of a post-pandemic world – let’s see what elements of a hybrid model will stick. Our three member organisations – Basics Office Products, Canadian Independent Stationers and Guild Stationers – are alive and strong and we are most certainly excited about the possibilities that this future holds. As I return to this industry, congratulations to OPI for achieving its 30th anniversary milestone – you were here when I first dipped my toes and continue to offer a platform for sharing ideas, learning about best practices, and being a steady voice in an otherwise fractured marketplace.
Ian Landy, President, Basics Office Products
Never before have this many companies been able to hang a virtual shingle and be in the business supplies space
TOP 100 – NEW ENTRY Ian Landy is a newcomer to the OPI Top 100 (for more, see also page 69), having replaced the retired Bob Hodan as President of Canadian dealer group Basics Office Products in May 2021. That said, South Africa-born Landy – he moved to Canada when he was eight years old – actually spent a few years in our industry, honing his marketing skills at Grand & Toy, currently part of the ODP Corporation. He returns to our sector, in charge of Basics’ 18 dealers, with three strategic objectives: assist them in providing their customers with a seamless and transparent suite of ordering alternatives which meet today’s hybrid business needs; create efficiencies and productivity among the three dealer banners that also include Canadian Independent Stationers (27 members) and Guild Stationers (58); and introduce marketing tools for the vendor community to maximise their presence among end consumers.
