Workplace360 Issue 4. June 2023

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

The past couple of months have entailed being out and about attending several interesting and informative events. It was lovely to visit my old London stomping ground and observe the latest trends and progressions in the workplace sector at Clerkenwell Design Week (read Design of the times on page 44).

The vibe was buzzy, with throngs of people filling the tiny creative enclave of our nation’s capital. There were plenty of engaging installations, workshops and talks to get involved with as well as tonnes of exhibitions and showrooms to visit. The sheer number of products on display – from the sublime to the weird and wonderful – was enough to make your head explode.

Although not quite as ‘design-led’, the London Stationery Show offered its own distinctive ambience and it was good to see so many workplace supplies vendors touting their latest wares (read Far from stationary on page 48 for more on the event and A fine line on page 32 for an update on the writing instruments category).

Far from the madding crowd was the first of this year’s BOSS Leaders of the Future conferences. Here, the energy was totally focused on learning through several keynotes, a masterclass and a panel discussion (for the review, read Innovating for the future on page 46). All three events were unique and aside from the information overload, the best part was being able to connect with people from the industry in person, say ‘Hi’ to those I hadn’t yet met and discover new companies.

On the ‘catching up’ note, my chat with Charlie Reid and Bruce Davie for this issue’s dealer interview (read Positive education on page 12) was most illuminating, especially on serving the education and workplace interiors sectors.

Talking of education, School of thought (page 26) reveals the latest developments but, more importantly, some sage advice for any resellers wanting to make headway in this area. Having taken a trip to the Bett UK show for the first time at the end of March, I was truly astounded by the number of well-known tech manufacturers involved in the education technology sphere. Even more impressive were the products on display.

Technology is already a key component of Exertis Supplies’ offering – hardly surprising when it falls under the larger umbrella of Exertis – and it is one that Managing Director Andrew Beaumont is keen to get dealers involved with. For the full interview, including details on this push and lots more on the future direction of the wholesaler, read A complete ecosystem on page 16.

Members of the Workplace360 team will be at this summer’s industry events, including Nemo Office Club, BOSS Business Supplies Charity Golf & Spa Day, Superstat and Old Friends’ Summer Lunch, so don’t forget to say hello.

Michelle Sturman Editor

business supplies and beyond

EDITORIAL

Workplace360 Editor

SALES & MARKETING

Head of Media Sales

PRODUCTION & FINANCE

Head of Creative

Executive Assistant

business supplies and beyond

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Freelance Contributors

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Heike Dieckmann

Chris Turness 07872 684746

Chief Commercial Officer

Chris Exner 07973 186801

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Aurora Enghis

EVENTS

Events Manager

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Finance & Operations

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No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with provision of the copyright designs and patents act of 1988. Stringent efforts have been made by Office Products International to ensure accuracy. However, due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Office Products International cannot accept responsibility for such errors or omissions. Office Products International accepts no responsibility for comments made by contributing authors or interviewees that may offend.

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Clerkenwell Design Week

London Stationery Show

BOSS Leaders of the Future Bett UK

42 Thought leadership

ECI’s Paddy Donnelly details how to succeed in an everchanging online world 46 Events

The recent LOTF conference on innovation offered plenty of food for thought

48 Events

The London Stationery Show pulled in exhibitors and the crowds

50 Heart of the industry

Reviews of the 2023 Ride of Life charity fundraiser and the Spring Guest Night for The Society of Old Friends

52 Backchat

Julie Hawley from YPO thinks it’s time to contribute more to reaching net zero

54 Exposed!

Chris Armstrong from Office Power

38

A great organisational culture can make all the difference, notes James Day

16

26

The rewards are worth the effort required to succeed in the educational supplies sector

32

Interesting and innovative changes are afoot in the writing instruments category

In conversation with... Exertis Supplies Managing Director Andrew Beaumont

Management changes at EVO Group

There have been numerous key management changes at EVO and at Complete, the dealer that was bought by its Banner subsidiary at the start of 2023. At EVO, appointments have been announced following a strategic review of its buying function.

Stuart Bleese has been named Product Management Director and Gilly Blackburn is now Procurement Framework Director. EVO Buying Director Simon McLoughlin said: “These new roles […] bring together a wealth of knowledge and experience, alongside a continued enthusiasm for improvement and change.”

There have also been two significant departures at EVO, with experienced UK office products exec Debbie Nice leaving at the end of April. Nice had been with Vasanta/EVO since 2011, occupying a number of senior category and merchandising roles, and most recently serving as the group’s Business Development Director. She had previously been Head of Marketing at VOW between 1994 and 2005 and also worked for Spicers, Neville & Gladstone, Office Friendly and CPD.

Nice said she was taking a break from full-time work and would enjoy some free time for self-development and travel. “I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with the best colleagues, customers and suppliers in the office products industry over the past 35 years – thank you to you all, it’s been a blast!”

At the end of April, Group Marketing Director Cheryl Lamont also revealed her departure, marking the end of her third spell at the group – in various guises – since she first joined in 1997. Her leaving, Workplace360 understands, was due to a restructuring of the marketing team.

A COMPLETE TEAM

At Complete, meanwhile, EVO said the leadership team was now in place following its acquisition. Former Complete Business Solutions Chief Commercial Officer Adam Noble has left the business. He had joined the Complete fold when Derby-based dealer Irongate –where he had been CEO for 30 years – was acquired at the end of 2018. He then took on the role of Managing

Director at Complete before becoming Chief Commercial Officer in 2021 when the senior management team was expanded. Noble told Workplace360 that he was taking a short break before deciding on his next career move.

Complete Regional Director John Barker has been named Managing Director, following a long career at the reseller in operations and sales. Elaine Collett – who spent almost 20 years at OfficeTeam before joining Complete in 2020 – has been appointed Head of Sales. She is supported by two new Regional Sales Managers for the North and South, Karen Blatherwick and Carl Rundle.

Other positions include:

• Pamela Wakefield, Head of Facilities

• Lee Jervis, Head of Workwear Operations

• Phil Sibson, Head of Interiors

• Jonathan Thiem, Managing Director of Technology

• Nigel Hindmarch, Head of Purchasing

• Ian Robins, National Service Director

• Alex Gerrard, Interim Financial Director

• Rebecca Bower, Senior Commercial Financial Manager

EVO CEO Andrew Gale said he was “delighted” with the progress made over the past five months, with the right leadership in place to “carry Complete forward over the coming years”.

He added: “When the acquisition was finalised, we set out the goal of ensuring the business would continue to be run by Complete’s talented team and we’re so pleased to have achieved this goal. The new team provides both the depth and experience needed to take Complete to new heights.”

Andrew Gale

The new team provides both the depth and experience needed to take Complete to new heights

Viking relocates jobs back to the UK

Viking has confirmed the creation of 60 jobs in the UK after completing the onshoring of its customer service team from South Africa. The new appointments are based at Viking’s main office in Leicester and will complement its existing centre in Oldham.

The company said the move underscores its commitment to improving the client experience and its overall performance. It is part of a turnaround plan started in 2022 under the ownership of European reseller RAJA, which acquired Viking in 2021.

“Viking’s customer service is now 100% based in the UK. We believe this will quickly make a significant impact on the quality of our service. Bringing this critical function back in-house is part of our efforts to deliver first-class customer experience,” said Simon Allan-Brooks, Managing Director for Viking UK & Ireland.

The 60 new positions in Leicester include reps, team managers, quality specialists and trainers. Viking said it is still looking for commercially minded customer care personnel to reinforce the line-up. Julia Martin was named Senior Manager Customer Service UK & Ireland in May. She has a strong sales background, particularly inside sales,

having spent more than eight years in a management role at Office Depot UK.

Viking has also revealed the appointment of experienced sales exec Peter d’Amery, who was recently named Sales Director for UK & Ireland. His focus will be to grow the key accounts customer profile. He previously held a similar position at Office Depot UK and his association with the business products industry goes back to 1992 when he joined Guilbert.

OT Group joins Coupa Advantage

Workplace products operator OT Group has announced an agreement with procurement software giant Coupa that will see it join the Coupa Advantage programme. Coupa Advantage harnesses the power of $4 trillion of Coupa community spend for optimised procurement and strategic sourcing strategies across a trusted network of vetted suppliers.

There are two aspects to the programme: Instant Advantage, which delivers pre-negotiated savings, terms and contracts from dozens of suppliers; and Sourcing Advantage, which allows customers to join together and maximise buying power through professionally managed sourcing events.

OT Group will provide its range of office supplies and services to Coupa customers across the UK and Ireland.

“We see this as a great opportunity, not only to open up our office supplies channel, but also offer our additional goods and services from the wider portfolio of our parent company Paragon,” said OT Group Sales Director Stuart Derbyshire.

Hilleard to be next Society of Old Friends President

Workplace360 CEO Steve Hilleard has been confirmed as the next President of historic UK business products industry networking group, The Society of Old Friends. Hilleard – who is currently Honorary Treasurer of the organisation that was established 114 years ago – will serve as President from April 2024 to March 2026. He will succeed current President, John Logan of Floortex. “It will be an absolute privilege and an honour to lead this esteemed group and I’m looking forward to hosting some great functions and events during my time in office,” said Hilleard.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Butler joins BOSS board

VOW Wholesale Managing Director Adrian Butler has joined the board of the BOSS Federation, effective immediately. The association’s Chairman, Simon Drakeford, said Butler was an “excellent appointment” to the board. “His years of experience and leadership within our industry will be invaluable to the BOSS Federation in its goals to support the industry and its members.”

Well-known European business products executive Danny Berendsen (above, left) is back at EO Group. Berendsen had spent six years at Euroffice before joining visual communications manufacturer Bi-silque in 2017. Now, after leaving Bi-silque, he has been named Managing Director Euroffice at EO Group, effective June 2023.

Berendsen will lead the Euroffice and UK Office Direct reseller businesses. His responsibilities will include category management and digital marketing; he will also become a member of EO Group’s operational board.

Also recently announced was the appointment of Michael Baker-Mosley (above, right) as new Group Marketing Director. Baker-Mosley brings extensive experience in B2B marketing from both agency and client-side roles across various industries. He was most recently Head of Brand Marketing at leading sports betting platform provider Kambi.

At EO Group, his position will focus on supporting the continued growth of the B2B technology and dealer solutions brand, Office Power, where he will work alongside its Managing Director Mark Heath.

Key hires for EO Group

Steve Hilleard

Acquisition for Caswells

of greater single-sourcing opportunities, leading to simpler operations and reduced costs. Jarreds has relocated to Caswells’ site in Billingham, with the new owner saying it has the potential to create at least ten more jobs over the next 18 months.

Lyreco unveils safety platform

Teesside-based safety and MRO reseller Caswells Group has acquired neighbouring office supplies dealer, Jarreds Office Supplies.

Gene Jarred and his wife Lily opened the business in 1972. They initially supplied duplicating machines (prephotocopiers) and paper stock before adding office stationery, furniture and electronic typewriters and photocopiers.

Caswells said the acquisition offers the potential for customers to take advantage

Garry White (pictured), Managing Director of supply chain software provider Oasis, has announced he is taking early retirement.

Caswells’ Commercial Director Paul Murphy commented: “Owners on both sides have known each other socially from the beginning and traded with each other. We had been seeking an acquisition in this field for some time to further enhance our offering to our customers.”

Joanne Dougherty, Sales Manager at Jarreds, added: “It’s been a great move to become part of Caswells, not just for customers of both companies but also for staff. After 50 successful years, we are now able to enjoy being part of a larger group which offers opportunities for skills and career development in other areas.”

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Lyreco UK & Ireland has launched a centralised safety products platform. Called Lyreco Safety, it includes up-todate safety category information and advice as well as guides and resources to help customers implement their PPE and safety gear effectively.

The reseller said the platform covers everything from PPE and site safety to first aid and workwear, with easily accessible categories and subcategories. Each category page offers safety information, links to technical specifications and the latest standards.

Included is a resource library with documents and videos, procurement advice as well as training material, Lyreco’s product catalogues and case studies.

White has been working in the office products industry for the past 33 years, including 16 at Office Depot and seven at Staples. He joined Oasis in 2016 and took over as Managing Director a year later.

He leaves Oasis in the hands of two longserving execs. Projects Director John Flanagan – who has been with the business since 1996 –has been named Managing Director. He will take the lead role on client and supplier relations, new business and marketing.

Meanwhile, Peter Duncan – at the company since 2004 – will support Flanagan as Operations Director. He takes on responsibility for implementation, development, finance and business administration.

Former Managing Director Jo Franklin will continue as Chair, providing support and guidance to the new leadership team.

Brother’s UK subsidiary has announced two promotions to its senior leadership team. Following the retirement of Sales and Marketing Director Andy Forsyth after a 40-year career in the business technology sector, the vendor has established two new roles– both reporting to Managing Director Phil Jones. The positions are designed to support the company’s strategic growth plans.

Greig Millar (above, left) has been promoted from General Manager for Sales to Chief Revenue Officer. At Brother UK for 20 years, he will now be responsible for leading its sales team and partner strategy – developing deeper relationships with reseller partners to mutually drive managed print services revenue opportunities.

Terry Caulfield (above, right) – previously Brother’s General Manager for Products and Solutions – has been named Chief Commercial Officer. He will lead the OEM’s category management and specialist printing solutions division. In the role, Caulfield will focus on driving strategic growth in Brother UK’s target verticals across retail, transport and logistics, and hospitality.

Brother UK makes senior appointments

Changes at Oasis

(L-R): David Roebuck, Joanne Dougherty, Paul Murphy, Jackie Jarred

Industry legend publishes book

Former Spicers CEO Bill Armstrong has published the story of his life and career. The 400-page tome, called A Life in Perspective, begins with Armstrong’s formative years, including his childhood in a mill town near Manchester and life as a teenager in the 1960s.

He then devotes a good part of the book to his 34-year career with Spicers – a period in which the company was transformed from a UK manufacturer into a pan-European wholesaler.

The final section of the book is, in Armstrong’s own words, “my attempt to find an accord between my life experience and the revelations and reflections of others”. A Life in Perspective can be found on Amazon and is available in both paperback and Kindle editions.

Hamelin exec breaks world record

Hamelin Brands UK Channel Sales Manager Shane Owen claimed the world record for the ‘fastest marathon dressed as a book (male)’ at this year’s London Marathon.

Owen crossed the line in 5 hours, 19 minutes and 15 seconds, breaking last year’s record – set by Hamelin Managing Director Philip Beer – by around 15 minutes.

Owen’s costume – a book named Eddie – is in memory of colleague Eddie Sampson, who passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer. Owen took on the challenge to raise funds for the Institute of Cancer Research.

Positive education

For a business established in 1957 to only have undergone two management changes in all those years is a rarity. But this is what’s happened at Egan Reid. Launched by Jim Egan and Jack Reid as printers and office stationers, the firm was taken over subsequently by Martin and Andrew Reid – who have become legends in the UK industry.

After the best part of 40 years, the brothers decided to step back from the daily running of the company in September 2022, with Martin presently Chairman and Andrew as CEO. The mantle has now passed to Martin’s son, Charlie, and business supplies veteran Bruce Davie.

The pair are joint Managing Directors and are buoyant about the future, with current sales of £14.5 million –higher than pre-pandemic. 20% organic growth year on year for the past two years has been achieved against plummeting COVID-related sales and declines in toner cartridges and traditional stationery items. For the 12 months ended 31 March 2020, sales were just shy of £14 million but dropped roughly 30% over the following

£14.5 million FY22 SALES

12 months due to lockdowns. “You cut your cloth accordingly, so we’re down around 12 employees and a few van routes compared to then,” says Davie.

Operating from four locations – Stockport (head office), Bradford (Education Express), Lincoln (Todds Group) and the Isle of Man (BHX Stationery and Furniture) – Egan Reid is conceivably a leaner outfit since the pandemic. Nevertheless, it has an impressive head count of 66, including directors. Totting up the team’s experience results in an astonishing 850 years, with 31 employees serving over ten years at the company.

Egan Reid maintains a fleet of around 20 vehicles spread across the four offices, intending to add more due to business demand. “Some players have moved to couriers and third-party deliveries, but it’s not what makes this channel special. We don’t want to be like Amazon and drop parcels off at reception. Our drivers will place the supplies in the stationery cupboard and leave paper next to the copier machines. There’s value in this service,” states Davie.

NO. OF EMPLOYEES

Resting on your laurels is not a phrase associated with workplace supplier Egan Reid, especially now the company is actively on the hunt for further growth

(L-R): Bruce Davie and Charlie Reid

STOCKING UP

80% of products sold are held by Egan Reid, with the rest derived from the wholesale chain. A former Spicers dealer, this set-up has safeguarded it from the marketplace disruption over the past few years. There is no intention to replace this model as it enables the company to maintain control of deliveries and allows for greater discretion concerning supplier choice.

Quick turnaround items, including big brand names for traditional office supplies, are bought direct. However, diversification has seen shelves filled previously with labels, binders, etc give way to pots of glue and play sand following a decisive move into the education sector. Davie explains it’s been a “significant change”, with the company now holding almost 3,000 products relevant to these customers. He adds: “We still buy 10,000-12,000 products through wholesale for the tail as the channel is set up to provide those ones and twos on our behalf.”

Today, the business is split into either a commercial or an education sale. While the former contributes a higher sales percentage, the latter is growing more rapidly. Aside from the usual classifications of products you’d expect to find with educational supplies, becoming specialists and delving deeper into the sector has revealed sub-categories such as special needs, arts & crafts and sports & games.

Dealing with the idiosyncrasies of the sector such as deciphering quotes with just a description and no product codes, has been a steep learning curve for the dealer. Reid, however, is of the firm belief that the company’s service mentality, incorporating nextday delivery and personalised assistance, is a “huge competitive advantage”.

FIT FOR PURPOSE

On the commercial side, Egan Reid’s furniture and fitouts division, Office Environments, is equally paying dividends. Boosted by the onset of hybrid working and return-to-work mandates, the team has noted a recent shift towards in-office attendance, but more striking is the swing to “doing something different” concerning workspace design.

But, advises Reid, it is a sector with a complicated supply chain and not one to merely dip your toes into: “Since we bought Education Express in 2012, we’ve learned the nuances and how to navigate the waters because the margin expectation is altogether different, as is the buying and selling process for every school.

“Relationship building is the most critical aspect of our job. Although customers are loyal, you can win an order today and lose it the following week. It is hard work, but every month more schools sign up with us. Once they start buying from us, they seem to stick.”

Pre-acquisition, Egan Reid was in a similar position to one many resellers may presently find themselves in, with the ability to supply only a limited set of traditional OP products to educational facilities.

Says Reid: “Right now, we’re dealing with projects designed to entice staff back to the workplace by making them feel more comfortable. For example, canteens modelled on Starbucks, the incorporation of biophilic elements and homely collaborative spaces which emulate living rooms.

“Rows of desks that pack employees in like sardines are not in vogue, but the fun has returned with table tennis and pool tables.”

The dealer covers the gamut of workplace furniture and interiors – from the supply of one chair to full design service and everything in between – with the sweet spot being mid-sized deals of £100,000-£750,000. Currently “exceptionally busy”, according to Davie, Office Environments is not far short of 40% of total revenue.

Work is wide and varied, from refurbishing a school toilet block to an upcoming project

The margin expectation is altogether different, as is the buying and selling process for every school

(L-R): Martin and Andrew Reid

renovating hospitality suites at a football club. “What I didn’t appreciate until I started at Egan Reid is how complementary education and commercial is. Education activities are carried out during holiday periods, with multiple projects kicking off simultaneously in various locations, and commercial deals fill the rest,” says Davie.

Education and Office Environments may be the two growth generators, but other categories including catering and jan/san are doing well. Both Reid and Davie are advocates for not leaving money on the table and surmise many dealers are guilty of failing to mop up available ancillary sales. In fit-outs, as Reid explains, it could be anything from supplying white goods, adding lighting, installing flooring or sourcing picture frames.

Davie offers the example of one retailer’s requirement for a full darkroom studio, including photographic equipment, and another of stocking adult incontinence products for delivery to care homes following a client request. “It builds customer loyalty by taking the hassle out of sourcing quirky and wonderful goods not normally stocked. I never want a salesperson to say they can’t sell something. If a customer requires a specific item, we’ll supply it,” he notes.

GETTING NOTICED

The team is keen to promote its endeavours and is becoming increasingly active on social media through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The digital strategy stretches back a few years following a move to EvolutionX, with an Egan Reid group webstore, alongside a standalone educational supplies version. While eganreideducation.co.uk is registering 60% growth, eganreid.co.uk commands a higher percentage of total sales at around 35%. Davie says the company is embracing the crossover of educational items available on its specialist website being bought by commercial

buyers and bringing the two together by making product more visible to customers.

Sustainability is another huge focus for the group, with net zero and recycling top of mind. Internal targets have been set and thus far have resulted in a reduction in gas (40%) and electricity (14%) usage and a 16% decrease in business miles in the past year.

There are also plans to install solar panels at the company’s head office. In terms of reaching net zero, Davie says scope one and scope two are “pretty much covered”, whereas scope three is a different kettle of fish. “To vet our multimillion-pound supply chain for environmental performance from cradle to grave is quite a challenging proposition. We don’t want to just pay lip service to it, especially as customers are demanding to see our sustainability credentials.”

One aspect the duo is proud of is the recycling of cardboard, plastic, metal and wood waste streams. This includes recovering customers’ unwanted furniture etc, with pieces sent for recycling, broken down into components or given to charity. In 2022, Egan Reid planted 1,143 trees and is aiming for 2,500 this year. The dealer also recently joined the 100 Trees Club, part of a campaign to plant three million trees within Greater Manchester in the next five years.

While keeping a lot of plates spinning, Egan Reid is also significantly strengthening its balance sheet, selling well and seeing reasonable profits. But Davie is patently aware that other dealers may not be so fortunate.

To this end, he states, many may not know that Egan Reid has acquired nine businesses over the years and is currently hunting for further growth and is in a “very acquisitive mood”. He adds that the team is happy to talk to any dealers looking for a way out, whether that be in office supplies or other verticals like jan/san, print or workwear.

TOTAL YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITHIN EGAN REID +/-3,500 NO. OF ACTIVE CUSTOMERS

850 years

I never want a salesperson to say they can’t sell something

A complete ecosystem

Normally reticent to talk about what it’s up to, Exertis Supplies is now ready to change that. Managing Director Andrew Beaumont talks to Workplace360 CEO Steve Hilleard about the company’s current state of play, future plans and its laser-like focus on the dealer channel

Workplace360: Let’s start with your career journey. Andrew Beaumont: My background is in finance and I started my working life in the building products industry. I’ve spent most of my career at Advent Data/Exertis Supplies except for a couple of brief periods when I left and then returned.

I was at Advent in 2011 when DCC acquired the company – it was a fabulous time. Little old me against the PLC guys was fun. I had a break from 2014-2017 but returned to Exertis Supplies as Operations Director. There was a succession plan in place at the time, which meant when Raj Advani, Managing Director of Exertis Supplies, stepped back, I would assume his role. This happened in April 2019.

W360: Tell us about Advent Data and DCC.

AB: Raj started Advent in 1990 and it was then acquired by DCC. Despite stepping back from his role as Managing Director, he is still very much involved in the business as our Commercial Director.

DCC is one of those large PLCs you’ve never heard of and was built predominantly through the energy sector. It’s an Irish company but on the FTSE. It’s a £22 billion business with three main divisions – Energy, Healthcare and Technology. Exertis is the global name for DCC Technology, with Exertis Supplies falling under this wing.

W360: How much of that £22 billion comes from Exertis/DCC Technology?

AB: Just over £5.2 billion.

W360: Is it correct to say that Exertis Supplies only transitioned into business products after the acquisition of Advent?

AB: Correct. Exertis Supplies didn’t dip its toes in the office products sector until 2014. At that point, another Exertis business had tried to enter the workplace products arena, but it wasn’t gaining any traction. Raj suggested Supplies give it a go as many of the dealers were already part of our customer base.

While still dabbling, we hired Tim Holmes. He immediately saw we had the wrong stock at the wrong price and simply said: “This is not how you do it.” Most of the stock was moved on swiftly and we started afresh.

W360: You’ve just alluded to Tim, may he rest in peace. How does the management team look today?

AB: Raj is focused on workplace products, with Ben

Appleby as Commercial Director for the EOS and technology side. Victoria Hilton is Director of Sales and Paul Kipling, who was our IT Manager, is now Operations Director.

W360: You’re now in Elland. Are there any other distribution facilities?

AB: There is another centre in Raunds, Northamptonshire, where we still utilise a large group warehouse for handling some of the bulkier product. It was also used for our van run service in the southeast of England. However, when everything came to a halt during lockdown, we migrated the van run stock back to Elland and modified the management of our night deliveries.

Whereas five distribution companies were helping us in different areas pre-COVID, we’re currently under one umbrella with Royal Mail and leveraging its Relay distribution network. This service is gradually being turned on, but it has been a game changer as we can now offer a viable, reliable service and cover the whole of the UK.

W360: What’s the rough SKU count currently?

AB: 10,000+ for business supplies, 4,000+ in ink and toner and 8,000+ in our tech category. From a core products perspective, I think we can now offer a full range for our dealers.

W360: Are you able to share revenues?

AB: What I can tell you is the office products category currently represents around 35% of the business, ink and toner supplies about 55%, while tech stands at roughly 10%.

W360: Beyond the traditional dealer community, are there other important customer types?

AB: On a day-to-day basis, we’re still close to all the VARs and the e-tailers.

It has been a game changer as we can now offer a viable, reliable service and cover the whole of the UK

W360: Amazon as well?

AB: To a point, although our business with Amazon is not what it used to be. Our focus is very much on the workplace supplies dealer.

W360: I sense there’s little interference from your parent company.

AB: That’s very much the case. DCC is a benevolent parent which aims to acquire good businesses and invests in its management teams. It’s different to how some VCs operate – ie not a ‘let’s buy them this week, then try to sell them next week’ kind of organisation. But it’s not an easy ride as DCC sets very high standards. We are currently looking across the entire DCC Technology estate to figure out how to cross-sell and offer the dealer community the 50,000-strong tech products that it lists. In addition, many resellers are telling us that they are active in the healthcare vertical; DCC is also in this segment, so we will certainly look to leverage this in the future.

W360: What sort of products do you consider to represent a natural extension for the reseller community within that technology portfolio?

AB: When I meet dealers, I always say there’s nothing you’d encounter in an office we can’t provide between us. For instance, sitting with you here today, there’s a screen on the wall, a monitor, a coffee machine, a docking station, laptops, cables and comms equipment.

Last year was immensely successful in terms of growth for the tech category, but we need to help make more dealers comfortable selling it.

We’ve created a FAQ sheet, for example, to enable them to provide the right answers for any questions their customers may have. This is really starting to gain traction.

W360: How do you encourage and support those dealers to transition beyond just providing product?

AB: We have created an ‘ecosystems’ document to

Last year was immensely successful in terms of growth for the tech category

(L-R): Steve Hilleard and Andrew Beaumont

demonstrate what products dealers can procure. There are the FAQs I’ve just mentioned as well as access to specialists within the business. However, it’s primarily about education and communicating how Exertis Supplies can help. As a team, we are speaking to technology vendors and pushing our sector as an area with huge potential. We’re establishing relationships and bringing them into the fold.

W360: Do you think the dealer community truly understands that looming on the horizon is a massive drop-off in some of our core categories?

AB: The majority do, yes. We witnessed their entrepreneurial spirit during lockdown – it keeps this industry alive. When Amazon arrived a decade ago, it was supposed to be the death knell for office products dealers. It didn’t happen.

W360: But what we’re observing now is digitalisation, which is disruptive and accelerating. You can fight a competitor but you can’t easily win market share when legacy products are in secular decline.

AB: I believe the demand will be there – albeit with new products. I think the big opportunity is hybrid working and replication. Many employees still have the same set-up as they had when they moved out of the office at the start of lockdown. People possess two of everything – desks, monitors, docking stations, etc. The ecosystems I referred to earlier are even more key today.

W360: In a few years, are we not just going to reach a period where everyone’s office and home office are filled with technology? What happens then?

AB: The great thing about tech is it’s constantly evolving. As end users, we desire the latest technology to help us become more efficient. We all want to have the next new thing, or we wouldn’t be upgrading our laptops every couple of years.

Delve a bit further and you’re in the realm of software and SaaS – with recurring revenues. There is a dealer platform available through Exertis Technology and we’re investigating ways to provide this opportunity to our customers.

W360: This is quite a departure from your no-frills model. It was one of the aspects that certainly attracted many resellers to Exertis Supplies when you launched – no unencumbered costs.

AB: We’re not changing, just providing different products. With service-type offerings, it would have to be presented to the industry with all the complexity removed to make it economically viable and simple and easy to use.

At the end of the day, from a wholesale point of view, we’re trying to move complexity out all the time. Up to a point, our core business will invariably be about assembling a set of products from vendors into a warehouse and then selling those to dealers – or, as most orders go today, straight to their end user. We’re merely adding to the portfolio.

W360: Why should a savvy dealer buy from Exertis and not anyone else? What sets you apart?

AB: First and foremost, I wouldn’t say don’t buy from somebody else. We have to offer a service that makes dealers want to trade with Exertis Supplies. So why should you buy from Exertis? I think we’ve always done what we said we would do and as you’ve just said, we like to keep things simple.

Every dealer has a named account manager. In fact, during lockdown, our account managers used to phone their dealers simply to ask if they were ok and needed someone to talk to. It wasn’t about the business; it was about the people.

Our customer care team, for example, is still a person on the end of a phone; our people are our greatest asset. Plus, along with the core range we offer, let’s not forget our technology expertise.

When Amazon arrived a decade ago, it was supposed to be the death knell for office products dealers. It didn’t happen

W360: You are affiliated with some substantial cooperatives or dealer groups, primarily Advantia and Superstat. What’s the nature of your relationships with those two groups?

AB: Somewhat of a cliché, but with both it is a genuine partnership in the truest sense. If Steve [Carter, Managing Director of Advantia] or Alex [Dunn, Managing Director of Superstat] were sitting here, I believe they’d be nodding in agreement. Working with Exertis is different to anything they’ve experienced before. There’s no overpromising and we’re transparent and honest if promises can’t be met. I think they appreciate that. It’s very similar to the way we do business with our dealers. Exertis Supplies has developed the range and service offering it has today mainly because of the strong relationships we’ve developed with the two groups.

W360: Let’s talk about range. Are you venturing into being more of a broadline wholesaler with cleaning, catering, safety, etc?

AB: Very much so but doing it at our pace and being extremely conscious of service levels. We’re growing at a planned rate right now and won’t allow our service levels to drop.

W360: One of the accusations levelled at the wholesalers is that, when moving into new categories, they cannot purchase a product competitively enough to enable dealers to stand a reasonable chance of being taken seriously by some of their larger customers. How do you intend to overcome that?

AB: This is where the value-add comes in. There are great discussions constantly taking place with our vendors on what they think we should stock, but a lot of the time we’re talking to dealers. Asking questions such as: what do you want us to stock; where does it

need to be price-wise; what do you require from a service point of view? Then we ask ourselves if it can be done.

We have to be brave. Exertis Supplies is unique as a wholesaler as it only has a B2B arm, so stock is exclusively for the independent dealer.

W360: It’s taken you until now to get to the “we’re trade-only” message. Impressive. You’ve been itching to tell me!

AB: [Laughs] But it’s true. The success of Exertis Supplies is solely based on independent workplace products dealers being successful.

W360: Let’s talk about the challenges facing the industry and your thoughts on what’s unfolded over the last crazy few years.

AB: Looking back four years ago, just before the pandemic, we were fortunate to have already gone beyond the embryonic stage. Needless to say, so much has happened since then, not least with COVID and the demise of the original Spicers business. But all that has transpired has provided us with the chance to find our place and thoroughly develop our identity and core range.

W360: Some dealers said to me they didn’t feel Exertis – or VOW, for that matter – really moved quickly or deeply enough to capitalise on the demise of Spicers. A fair accusation?

AB: We were still finding our feet, so no. Competition comes and goes and dealers deserve strong wholesalers. I want to be tested by dealers and to ensure we are doing everything possible to help make them be successful. One area we have now developed is our Value X range to compete with the Q-Connect and 5 Star brands, for example.

The success of Exertis Supplies is solely based on independent workplace products dealers being successful

In addition, we are about to announce significant investment into the Exertis Supplies business to help support our customers over the coming years.

W360: When you say invest, is this in product range, infrastructure, or something more exotic like M&A activity?

AB: Everything’s on the table. I have the backing of DCC to grow Exertis Supplies as a long-term player in the business products industry.

And there are plans to do just that. We are preparing to launch our new website in the coming months and a lot is happening in the background in terms of digital marketing.

We announced to the business in May that we’re migrating the Exertis Supplies division to a new site in the area. It’s a much larger and more modern space which will enable us to offer the best service levels for our customers in order to meet the current and growing business needs.

W360: Final question. Does anything keep you awake at night?

AB: Not really. I’m lucky as I enjoy what I do. There is an extensive plan in place and the full support of DCC to invest in this industry.

Unfortunately, there still seems to be a credibility issue with some independent dealers that don’t understand our office products range has now grown to 10,000+ and that Exertis Supplies is here to stay. It’s our job to convince these dealers in the coming months and years.

While it’s always been our nature not to shout about what we do, I think we need to be a little less introspective. Operating on the basis of “if we’re good enough, dealers will come and buy from us” may, admittedly, be a little naïve.

It’s unusual for us to put ourselves out there, but I think this is the appropriate time to start getting the message across that we’re here and we’re in it for the long haul.

On 31 March 2023, the government’s 130% capital allowance ‘super deduction’ scheme came to an end. It had been introduced two years earlier to encourage companies that pay corporation tax to make investments post-COVID – allowing them to deduct 130% of plant and machinery costs from their profits when calculating the amount of tax to be paid.

As well as industrial equipment and machines, eligible purchases under super deduction included computers, printers and office furniture – as long as they were new and unused. With no expenditure ceiling, this tax relief was a timely boost for the business products industry as companies looked to implement workplace refurbishments and reworking projects as pandemic restrictions were lifted.

SPREAD THE WORD

Of course, companies had to first be made aware the tax benefit was available for office refits. In February 2022, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) admitted the take-up had been less than its initial forecasts. To help spread the word among its membership, the BOSS Federation teamed up with chartered accountants

Goodbye super deduction, hello full expensing

Garbutt and Elliott, which produced a fact sheet that explained super deduction and provided some practical examples of how it worked.

It was also a chance to galvanise top lines, a fact not lost on the dealer groups. “I think it is fair to say most dealers are switched on about these schemes and some have certainly taken the opportunity to boost sales,” notes Advantia Managing Director Steve Carter.

“Some were successful in raising awareness within their own customer base and have grown sales as a result. Others will have taken advantage by investing in machinery and equipment for their own use in order to drive revenue, with the print and workwear sectors being good examples.”

He adds: “Our job is to ensure dealers have a good understanding of these schemes and provide marketing collateral to support them when having customer conversations.”

It is a similar message from Nemo Office Club. “The majority of our members are very aware of the 130% super deduction tax relief and have used it effectively to stimulate additional business, in particular the furniture category,” states Managing Director Tim Beaumont.

“As a group, we have provided dealers with information via our weekly news round-up and marketing tools from our intranet portal. Here, they can order personalised postcards and email templates communicating the benefits to their customers and how they can assist.

“We have also worked very closely with furniture supplier DAMS to help dealers target specific sectors with workplace refits and new furniture installations. This led to enquiries that otherwise would not have been received.”

Beaumont says super deduction provided “a great example” of how the group’s managed services benefit its wider membership, without individual dealers having to do the legwork.

“Rather than members having to fully research the scheme and identify the opportunities, we built communications into the email and social media campaigns we ran on their behalf. These generated interest from end customers for furniture on the back of it – in some instances even before dealers were aware themselves!”

INCREASED INVESTMENT

A recent update from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that business investment in the UK rose by 0.7% in the JanuaryMarch 2023 quarter, following a 0.2% fall in the previous three-month period.

“The primary driver of growth in Q1 2023 was ICT equipment and other machinery and equipment. This coincides with the end of the temporary tax relief on qualifying capital asset investment, known as ‘super deduction’,” wrote the ONS in its 12 May bulletin.

The government agency added: “There was a significant increase in respondent comments to our Quarterly Acquisition and Disposal of Capital Assets Survey referring to super deduction this quarter. More businesses stated they had increased investment in the latest quarter to take advantage of super deduction ahead of its closure. These comments suggest businesses both brought forward planned investment and invested in capital they would not have otherwise to take advantage of the [scheme].”

At the start of April this year, the policy was replaced by a 100% full expensing capital allowance. While, on the face of it, this doesn’t sound as generous as the previous 130%, there is more to it than meets the eye.

“There are in fact a lot of similarities with super deduction,” says Gurj Sandhu of Azets, the financial partner of BOSS. “Full expensing will essentially provide the same benefit for the same qualifying expenditure because the corporation tax rate has increased to 25% from 1 April 2023.”

This actually means it is slightly more beneficial, not less as many people assume.

“100% of the cost of the expenditure is deducted against the 25% corporate tax rate,” explains Sandhu. “That equals 25p in the pound. Super deduction provided up to 24.7p of tax relief for every £1 incurred on qualifying expenditure.”

Sandhu says the main difference is there is no contracting date for full expensing. “Expenditure must be incurred between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2026,” he notes. “Super deduction had a strict requirement as the contract to acquire a qualifying asset had to be agreed on or after a certain date (3 March 2021).”

MORE FLEXIBILITY

As the ONS report showed, the end of super deduction may have been a factor in an uptick in business spending. The new timeframe will hopefully give companies more comfort in knowing they can accelerate tax savings over a longer period, and Sandhu advises full expensing to be promoted early in a financial year.

“The time it takes to complete a large capital property project can be considerable. Given there is a three-year window, businesses need to understand the impacts of full expensing now. This is also important when ordering large pieces of equipment as the lead times on delivery can be significant and payment structures complex – both have an impact on how and when capital allowance claims are made.”

There is a caveat. According to the Association of Taxation Technicians, full expensing will not benefit 99% of the country’s businesses, just those which spend less than £1 million on plant and machinery. It says the vast majority of companies (including sole traders and LLPs that are not eligible for full expensing) will look to take advantage of the recent rise in the permanent level of the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) from £200,000 to £1 million.

In many ways, the AIA is more flexible than full expensing, while offering essentially the same tax relief advantages on capital expenditure. Resellers should therefore arm themselves with the latest information from their trade association and dealer group for all the ins and outs of the available tax relief schemes and how they can pitch the benefits to existing and potential customers.

Given there is a three-year window, businesses need to understand the impacts of full expensing now

(L-R) Tim Beaumont, Gurj Sandhu and Steve Carter

Small is beautiful

The stationery and workplace supplies sector needs to stop pursuing unsustainable growth and shift to a genuinely sustainable business model

Success is normally determined by sales and profit, but such accounting only measures transactional value and not whether an enterprise provides any purposeful benefit to nature or people. A ‘green’ business should create value and respect for the environment and society as its primary function. However, most companies take the view that profit and economic growth can still be the prime motivation as long as the environmental and social impacts are reduced, thus creating a ‘sustainable’ business.

From a green perspective, this approach is fundamentally flawed as it pursues a reductionist solution to a systemic problem. The difficulty with seeking technical resolutions is the consequence of technological changes on the overall ecosystem are unknown, which is why ‘greens’ work towards a holistic solution to the damage caused by economic production.

Over the past 30 years, business sustainability has resulted in an acceleration of environmental damage as the steps taken to ameliorate the destruction have been outweighed by increasing harmful industrial activity. This is not to say that recycling and reducing waste and energy consumption practices should not be undertaken, rather they will have little impact on the climate and ecosystem crisis if the current commercial system continues to expand.

CARBON NEUTRALITY AND NET ZERO

The global awareness of climate change has generated international demands to stop releasing carbon into the atmosphere. But most companies can’t eliminate all their carbon emissions, so the net zero concept was created.

The idea was the remaining 20% or less of carbon produced by business activities after taking all sustainability measures would be offset by carbon capture through planting trees or using technology. However, many firms cannot – or will not – lower emissions through sustainable practices and intend to offset most of them.

Sadly, the net zero policies of big business and governments are fantasies. There simply isn’t the space on the planet to plant enough trees to offset emissions. The trillions of tonnes of carbon that need to be removed from the atmosphere would require technology that currently does not exist. If it did, it would consume more energy to set up and run than the current fossil fuel system, which has taken decades to create.

The easiest way to capture carbon is to restore forests, coral reefs, peat bogs, etc, but these are precisely the ecosystems that are being destroyed by the increase in economic activity. The one-trick pony of carbon emission counting does nothing to address ecological loss, which is by far the most serious problem we face.

Sadly, the net zero policies of big business and governments are fantasies

MANAGING A GREEN BUSINESS

A sustainable company must keep its economic activity to a minimum while delivering its goals. This is very different from the standard business model where enterprises seek to become larger to enjoy greater profits through scale and market domination. It is also contrary to a sustainable business model, where profit and growth are

Jay Risbridger is Director of The Green Stationery Company

required, along with environmental management, in order to avoid poverty and deliver wealth.

At The Green Stationery Company, we have limited turnover by not engaging in selling activities such as extensive advertising, employing salespeople or offering low price deals. In our industry, this is at odds with normal practice, and we are not regarded as successful since our aim is to break even rather than maximise profits.

We have always been a small microbusiness, with less than £500,000 in sales and employing no more than four people. This model has ecological benefits and is also more efficient relative to standard organisations – it avoids economic waste and we try not to engage in activities that do not directly add to the environmental and social value of the products our customers want.

electronic ordering facilities for drop-shipping from suppliers to minimise the movement of goods. We were early adopters of internet marketing – the first webstore went live in 1997 – to avoid the production of physical literature and all the waste it entails.

OPERATING WITH GREEN MICROBUSINESSES

To make the financial system sustainable, it must shrink – at least 30%. A ‘small is beautiful’ national economy would mainly consist of microbusinesses and be less engaged with global trade. How is this possible?

Over half the economy is already composed of micro and SME businesses. UK economic policy, however, is skewed to supporting just 8,000 large enterprises which enjoy monopolistic profits, low rates of taxation and access to political power to further their interests. It is these companies that are primarily engaged in the international exploitation of natural resources and degradation of ecosystems on a scale which is causing the climate crisis.

In many companies, non-value activities like brand advertising, packaging and transportation networks can be a huge part of the cost of a product. They are also damaging to the environment. Most suppliers in the UK stationery industry offer the same goods, distributed through three main wholesalers.

Conversely, The Green Stationery Company is one of the few dealers with a unique range of sustainable office supplies. It is our USP. The strategy is to make us easy to find by customers wanting eco-friendly items rather than trying to sell to those with no interest.

For these reasons and because we are not engaged in a low-price battle for the supply of homogeneous products, The Green Stationery Company is able to achieve high margins compared to many others in the sector. A high-margin, low-volume venture like ours can offer better wages and shorter working hours than the standard dealer.

Our model has been helped by environmental aims that reduce costs. These include packing for orders that consist of reclaimed boxes and void materials from local businesses and

To achieve huge turnovers, these organisations inevitably engage in economic waste as they must create an endless artificial demand for the goods they manufacture inefficiently, without any competition.

Instead, producing less stuff with little use value and more things that genuinely enhance people’s lives is needed. Such an economy would be built around repairing and repurposing things to reduce resource consumption. It would employ more people to deliver individually crafted, durable, quality products supplied by low-impact microbusinesses.

Companies must run on the ‘small is beautiful’ principle. Only then will the human economy tread lightly on the planet.

Companies must run on the ‘small is beautiful’ principle

School of thought

By David

There’s no doubt that selling into the education sector is a tough job. All those Workplace360 spoke to unanimously cited the budgetary pressures currently faced by schools, colleges and universities as a formidable challenge.

Despite total spending on education in the UK standing at £116 billion per annum – or 4.6% of national income – real hardships are being felt across the primary, secondary and further education sectors.

teaching union – highlighted that 70% of Scottish teachers have been using their own income to buy essential classroom supplies. Additionally, there has been a noticeable rise in requests from academic establishments for equipment and material donations.”

It is a huge market, stresses Rob Abrahams, Managing Director at specialist school furniture supplier Morleys. “There’s an estimated £11 billion backlog of work needed on existing British schools, with £500 million of this related to furniture, fixtures & equipment.

“However, budgets this year have been hit hard by the 5% increase in teachers’ pay – which makes up at least 80% of a school’s total spend. The government is pumping vast amounts of money into this sector, but it never seems to be enough. In addition to UK sales, educational supplies is a £30 billion+ export market and growing.”

Simon Port, Head of UKI Market at Promethean – a supplier of audiovisual (AV) equipment for this category – remarks that this lack of funding often manifests itself in establishments pushing the lifetime of their existing tech further.

He adds: “While the end of the warranty period has traditionally been the catalyst for a technology refresh, there’s been a noticeable move towards using more dated products for longer, despite recurring faults.

Says ExaClair

UK Marketing Manager Lawrence Savage: “A recent study by the EIS – Scotland’s largest

“Moreover, as schools try closing budget gaps, this has altered how AV goods are purchased, with leasing and finance agreements growing in popularity. At the same time, indications are the tide is starting to turn, and a more positive outlook is evident. Energy prices are falling and customers are growing in confidence about future spend.”

Budgetary restraints coupled with rising energy and staff costs are creating the perfect storm for dealers selling into the education sector, but the rewards are worth the effort.

Holes

Victor Stationery’s RHINO recycled notebooks

On top of budget constraints, there may also be challenges related to legislation. Victor Stationery Sales Director Richard Smithers says educational institutions are subject to regulations that can impact the adoption of new technology. These include but are not limited to data privacy laws preventing certain digital tools or platforms from being used in the classroom.

Labour disputes may have a bearing on the sector too, he notes, which in turn affect those companies selling into it. “If schools or universities are closed due to a strike, it can delay or even cancel purchasing decisions or the implementation of new technology products.”

MARKET TRENDS

Despite significant headwinds, there is plenty of scope to broaden the supplies range and increase sales. Integra Business Solutions, for example, saw a 40% sales rise in the education sector in Q1 this year.

Arts & crafts and stationery are still key product categories, followed by exercise books, facilities and furniture. However, the dealer group’s Director of Marketing, Sian Haskell, warns the market will remain tough for the rest of 2023. The additional funding announced for the next two years will be swallowed up by inflation, plus rising energy and staff costs.

Looking ahead, she believes technology will fulfil an ever-greater role in schools following a shift from paperbased resources to digital processes. This will have a corresponding impact on traditional classroom supplies, for instance pens, notebooks and filing solutions.

Smithers agrees, citing the increasing use of technology to track and monitor learning as a significant

trend. It includes using online platforms, mobile apps and virtual reality tools to provide pupils with interactive experiences.

Related to this is personalised learning, where students learn at their own pace and in ways that cater for their individual needs and interests. This develops skills such as empathy, self-awareness and relationship building, which are essential for success in both personal and professional settings.

In addition, social-emotional learning is gaining traction. Notes Smithers: “The number of autism spectrum disorder diagnoses and special educational needs cases in schools is increasing, so it’s important to ensure the paper products we supply can support the full range of diverse requirements.

“With dyslexia and Irlen syndrome – which affects visual processing – afflicting 10-15% of the population, tinted papers have become essential for aiding concentration and relieving the visual stress symptoms associated with autism and dyslexia.”

Explaining further, he adds: “The glare of white paper or patterns and black/white contrasts can bring on headaches, fatigue and anxiety, causing printed lines to blur or appear to move. With many children remaining undiagnosed, it’s crucial every classroom has a range of tinted colours available to ensure all pupils’ needs are met.”

Pukka Pads also provides a range of Irlen-related items, with each Irlen pad available in five different shades, including a simple test on the inside of each one to determine which colour paper is best. Global Sales Director Alex Bonarius says when it comes to

The government is pumping vast amounts of money into this sector, but it never seems to be enough

Promethean ActivPanel 9

education, there is a challenge to meet an accessible price point, but the company is determined to maintain quality and design equally. “Our products have always been loved by students who often stay loyal to our brand through to later life,” he adds.

THE RISE OF EDTECH

Educational technology (EdTech) has made inroads within learning establishments for many years. Unsurprisingly, the pandemic accelerated its uptake, with educators rapidly adopting technologies that enable new learning methods, either remotely, on-site or in a hybrid mix. The number of visitors (30,000) and exhibitors (600+) at the recent Bett UK show clearly demonstrated the intense interest in EdTech.

As Logitech Education and B2B Channel Manager Matt Waring explains, while the primary goal of EdTech is to promote engagement, boost interaction and enhance teaching, it still needs to be simple, intuitive, enjoyable to use and fully classroom-tested. Crucially, technology must be easy to deploy as teachers don’t want to spend the first ten minutes of a lesson trying to set it up.

Hardware and software compatibility across a vast range of devices is just as essential to cater to different user requirements. Hybrid learning also means students must receive an equal experience regardless of location, ensuring they can participate just as easily as those attending in person.

States Waring: “The huge variety of digital tools now offers learners increased flexibility and empowers them to find their own voice. Traditional classroom settings can be enhanced with videoconferencing solutions, cameras and microphones. Whiteboard cameras, for example, allow remote participants to join in with a lesson. Thanks to AI functionality, they also present those in the room with a better, clearer view of the board via their devices. Additionally, lessons can be recorded and played back later.”

He points to the use of digital styluses – such as the Logitech Crayon or Pen – which enable students to express their creativity collaboratively while

allowing everyone to work on the same document simultaneously. Alternatively, a headset could be utilised to eliminate background noise and improve focus or to pick up voices more clearly when using an app for dictation or language lessons. “eSports and gaming are huge growth areas and a way for students to develop skills like teamwork, leadership and strategic thinking through play,” he adds.

Promethean’s Port says schools react very favourably to demonstrations of EdTech before committing to purchasing new solutions, reporting that the company has recently taken this concept to another level with its ‘Experience the ActivPanel 9’ programme for its latest interactive flat panel display. “Essentially, the first model bought is heavily discounted by up to 60%, meaning the initial purchase is far more accessible. This enables them to really put the product through its paces before hopefully committing to further full-priced sales.”

Much like in the workplace, the AV/IT convergence trend is on the rise in educational settings. In fact, says Port, the company is witnessing some schools move away from computers completely as interactive flat panels deliver greater capabilities. “Connecting handheld and student devices to front-of-class interactive displays and accessing cloud-based networks directly all contribute to more flexible teaching and learning.”

THE COUNTER-ARGUMENT

Victor Stationery’s Smithers agrees the opportunities in the EdTech sector are vast, with the potential to improve learning outcomes, enhance teacher effectiveness, and increase accessibility to education. AI and machine

Logitech Crayon

The huge variety of digital tools now offers learners increased flexibility and empowers them to find their own voice

eSports at Bett UK

learning, he notes, are examples of technologies that can be leveraged to create personalised experiences and identify areas where students may be struggling.

However, he cautions, there are challenges with EdTech, such as ensuring it’s accessible to all –regardless of socio-economic status – and does not replace human interaction in the classroom. Furthermore, some educational bodies are returning to written exam methods of testing in order to prevent AI from being used to complete a student’s piece of work.

The importance of physical paper products is underlined by new evidence, according to Smithers: “A study of university students has revealed that writing on paper can lead to more brain activity, improving information recall an hour later. Separate research has also shown the complex, spatial and tactile experience associated with writing by hand is vital for improved longer-term retention and essential for exam success.”

FINDING YOUR USP

Accessing the education category presents its own unique issues. To be successful, dealers will require innovative ways to develop relationships and highlight the benefits only they can provide (read Positive education on page 12 for Egan Reid’s take on the sector).

Morleys’ Abrahams is keen to emphasise that “you do need to know what you’re doing” after observing some dealers dabbling in this area supplying establishments with inappropriate items.

“There are over 30,000 schools in the country, and they’ve all got individual requirements. It’s important to understand what these are, build up relationships and establish a level of trust. Buyers choose classroom equipment very differently from how they would kit out the staffroom – they want the right items that will do the job correctly and last for many years.”

According to Nemo Office Club Managing Director Tim Beaumont, local dealers are increasingly getting a foot in the door by offering a unique personal service, nimbly adapting to customer needs and providing costeffective benefits.

For example, some dealers act almost like school caretakers in the way they manage supplies while carrying out on-site maintenance tasks. The best operators also offer full installation services when selling furniture or equipment such as bike sheds and playground apparatus.

Says Beaumont: “This ability to make the education establishment’s life simpler is essential. A dealer needs to recognise the challenges it faces – a crucial one is the much-publicised budget constraints, with spending necessarily prioritised for fundamental items, namely, textbooks, facilities and teacher salaries.

“Convincing decision-makers to invest in innovative new products can be an uphill battle. One tactic is to start small, build relationships and have the patience to grow sales slowly. This can begin by being a convenient local source for topping up essentials such as toner, copier paper, pens and notebooks when needed. Doing this efficiently and reliably provides the chance to demonstrate the capabilities needed to be the supplier of a wider range of items.”

Further advice for resellers comes from Norfolkbased Eastpoint Global, a specialist distributor of teaching aids and classroom resources. Marketing Manager Alfie Temple says many dealers just seem to be a copy-and-paste of the next guy down the road, particularly with their online offering. “Schools need to see that you are willing to talk to them about bulk purchases, receive assurances they will get everything they require – ideally in a single order –and even better, delivered to exactly where they want it in the facility.”

While reiterating the complexity of the education market, Abrahams firmly believes the rewards for independent dealers successfully operating in this space can be considerable. “There’s a lot of opportunity. However, it’s beneficial to partner up with a specialist supplier that knows what they’re doing and can help overcome any hurdles.”

Pukka Pads A4 Irlen pads

One tactic is to start small, build relationships and have the patience to grow sales slowly

A fine line

For Mitsubishi Pencil Co UK, 2023 so far has remained on par with 2022, but the signs are encouraging and the expectations are for a record year. The company has managed to stay ahead of the curve. Sales increases have made it the leading rollerball vendor in the UK while additionally picking up market share in the arts & crafts sector.

On this latter point, Rob Harradine, Head of Sales and Marketing, explains that the arts & crafts sub-category has been “enormously productive” over recent years, particularly the paint marker, chalk marker and fine liner pen ranges. “Our water-based POSCA Paint Markers have proven a real success for us due to exponential growth,” he adds.

SCALED TO FIT

By Bruce Ackland

A tumultuous period for the writing instruments industry has introduced interesting changes to a still robust category.

Although the effect of COVID that struck all areas of the workplace supplies industry has waned, the impact of the war in Ukraine, rampant price inflation and the cost of living crisis is ongoing. It has produced an even more demanding landscape for the writing instruments category, with manufacturers in particular experiencing the brute force of this trio of challenges.

As Pentel Director of Sales UK & Ireland Graham Craik puts it: “We would really like 2023 to be a period of peaceful consolidation when we can focus on our key priorities of products and customers, rather than firefighting the latest problem facing the business.”

Dealer groups portray a similarly rosy picture, albeit with modified ordering habits such as a demand for small pack quantities due to hybrid working. Nemo Office Club told Workplace360 that pens continue to represent a significant part of its members’ business. For example, Pilot Pen sales are running at a 170% increase year on year, much of which is derived from the retail sector, but not exclusively.

The group’s Managing Director Tim Beaumont believes the writing instruments category is enjoying a renaissance in the post-pandemic era, demonstrating robustness despite the economic pressures of the past few years. “Many companies are looking at employee activity from a mental well-being perspective and have identified some real benefits of using a pen for note-taking. This provides a break from the computer

5.5%

Expected CAGR of the global writing instruments markets from 2022-2030

Source: Dataintelo

2,500 Pencils made from one average tree

6%

Expected CAGR of the pen segment from 2022-2030

Source: Dataintelo

screen and removes digital distractions which may hinder productivity,” he adds.

He further notes that, like all traditional stationery, selling pens is no longer about shifting bulk at the cheapest price. Instead, he says, it’s all about determining opportunities, selling solutions and marketing the appropriate products to the right target audience – whether B2B, online or retail.

Dealer group Office Friendly offers a similarly optimistic view of the market: category figures are starting to rise to about pre-COVID levels, even when current inflationary pressures are taken into account. Purchasing Manager Simon Webb states the “outlook is improving”.

Although the mood is buoyant, the elephant in the room revolves around affordability, with the cost of living crisis exerting an understandable effect on purchasing habits.

Manufacturers have responded, ensuring products remain popular even under economic constraints. Pentel, for example, has seen significant sales increases in the iZee economy ballpoint pen series, with the recent launch of the latest member of the 4 colour pen option massively exceeding forecasts.

The business supplies channel for writing instruments remains sturdy overall and dealers are being urged to stay engaged. Says Craik: “For the Pentel brand, there is no doubt that direct, personal faceto-face contact with customers delivers successful growth – far more than an app or telesales would. We encourage dealers to collaborate with the sales team to drive our mutual business, supported by promotions, POS displays, samples and product training.”

BANKING ON INNOVATION

Far from being static and staid, some writing instruments vendors are embracing technology, while all are exploring new commercial and consumer markets. The BIC Rocketbook is a prime example. It looks like a traditional notebook but connects written notes to cloud services through the Rocketbook app and is endlessly reusable.

Nemo Office Club dealers have been promoting the Rocketbook through the group’s multichannel programmes. According to Beaumont, rather than hijacking sales from BIC’s traditional stationery range, it has in fact enhanced brand awareness and resulted in more enquiries, especially for BIC’s 4 Colours pens.

Unsurprisingly, colour and creativity remain key trends as people continue to contend with

CHANGING SCHOOLS

Back-to-school (BTS) continues to be an essential selling period for the workplace supplies industry and the writing instruments category in particular. However, educationbased sales are shifting and becoming much less focused on one season. BTS, notes Nemo Office Club Managing Director Tim Beaumont, used to be the peak time for writing instruments. Now, he says, the greatest demand is around exam time as the traditional return-to-school purchasing period tends to be spread more throughout the term.

It is a sentiment echoed by Pentel Director of Sales UK & Ireland Graham Craik: “Although back-to-school remains a key event for us, we find students heading back-to-college or university, including Freshers’ Week, represent an increasing part of our business.”

Reduced offering

While the general market growth for value packs has filtered into the school season, concerns have been raised about some retailers reducing their BTS offerings. Says Luxor Managing Director Stephen Cafferty: “Back-to-school is important for the writing instruments category, especially the retail sector. Lamentably, many of the large chains and discounters have ‘downsized’ and the result is that some resellers are unable to achieve minimum order quantities.”

As private label consumption declines, the Writing category team for Newell Brands believe brands are the linchpin to winning BTS: “It’s not necessarily about the lowest price, it’s about the best value option for buyers on quality and price.”

Despite a lengthening trading period, the traditional BTS season remains a cornerstone for product pushes and new launches. Mitsubishi Pencil Co UK, for example, says BTS forms a crucial part of its campaigns and promotional opportunities. “Our eco products will be marketed extensively throughout the 2023 BTS period and the POSCA Paint Marker range will also feature heavily,” explains the company’s Head of Sales and Marketing Rob Harradine.

“In 2022, we saw new customers try the POSCA markers during this time with great success. This year, even more customers will be pushing the line.”

1,091.99 metres

troublesome times. On the rise since the start of COVID, consumers are using writing instruments as a way of expression, according to the Writing category team for Newell Brands.

In this respect, the company’s Gel pens segment continues to strengthen, with the Sharpie S-Gel driving both the category and share gains forward. “The UK has been behind the US with gel adoption, but the Sharpie S-Gel has gained momentum and Newell now holds nearly 40% share of gel.”

One area of innovation where the writing instruments sector leads the way within the workplace supplies industry is sustainability. Every manufacturer is maintaining a firm eye on the creation of increasingly eco-friendly offerings. For Jan Van Belleghem, Managing Director at office supplies purchasing alliance Interaction, it’s crucial for brands to ensure writing and correction products are made with recycled or plastic replacement materials – fillers like rice husk or paper fibres – to reduce the amount of virgin plastic used.

Office Friendly’s Webb agrees, adding: “It’s not just packaging but the product components that need to be in tune with the environment. Throughout the whole industry, being able to demonstrate reputable

green credentials is becoming extremely important and customers are prepared to pay a premium.”

Vendors continue to rise to the challenge, with plenty of new writing instruments to add to their existing repertoire. Mitsubishi Pencil Co UK, for example, has released a recycled version of its uni-ball Eye Rollerball – uni-ball Eye Ocean Care – which is made from 75% recycled plastic, 10% of which is from ocean waste.

Meanwhile, almost all of Pentel’s entire range now includes plastic-free, recycled and recyclable cardboard packaging. The vendor also launched a recent addition to its EnerGel line, the Eco 96% rollerball pen, which is manufactured using 96% post-consumer plastic waste.

Says Craik: “Eco-friendly pens are very much in demand and are absolutely key to the future of our business and the planet. Over the past few years, Pentel UK has made huge progress in making our products as environmentally friendly as possible.”

Sustainability is a high priority for India-based vendor Luxor. The company has launched a certified set of writing instruments under the EcoLogo/EcoWrite banner. The company also gives customers the option of receiving items in a 100% post-consumer waste format approved by the Global Recycled Standard.

While there is pressure from uncontrollable market forces at play, the writing instruments sector is proving to be resilient. The solution is to stay on top of trends and take advantage of extended product ranges.

The longest pencil in the world – the Guiness World Record now held by BIC (2017)

Eco-friendly products are very much in demand and are absolutely key to the future of our business and our planet

The oldest surviving pencil dates from the 17th century. It was discovered on the roof of an old German house that was being renovated and subsequently donated to Faber-Castell

The oldest surviving fountain pen is from 1702. It was designed by M. Bion from France

Crossing the Rubicon

In today’s world and specifically in light of current economic conditions, setting up an SME in the workplace supplies sector is, at the very least, arduous. It warrants careful consideration and a whole lot of research support, sprinkled with a touch of luck. When embarking on an entrepreneurial venture, there are several pivotal factors upon which to reflect and assess in order to launch a healthy and sustainable new business.

WHAT’S THE THINKING?

Why are you in business? In all likelihood, you’ve been in a previous supplies/service-focused company with all the support structures already in place – so the right foundation for a start-up is paramount. What product or service is being offered and what’s the USP? Is the offering desirable and/or better than what’s currently in the marketplace? What results or outcomes does your company offer and how can the added value of your solution be demonstrated?

In the initial weeks and months prior to the commitment to go live, a substantial body of research will be required, which should be both impactful and relevant and guide you through those key decisions from the very start. Before moving forward, ask yourself why you would buy from you. After all, customers will pose the big question: what’s in it for me?

CREATING ENGAGEMENT

Leveraging the value of your solution means informing the marketplace about the available product or service. From a marketing perspective, does the message incorporate all the marketing mix elements and provide a clear identity and service proposition?

Increasingly crucial is to make every customer – or potential customer – experience that feeling of being special and unique (even in a mass market model). Included in the engagement process and vital in the early days are networking and establishing the profile of the venture. Advice comes in many forms – with plenty of people willing to impart it.

Steve Harrop is Head of Commercial at Nectere – a unique service bureau with roots in the office products industry which is now spreading its services to wider supplies SME providers

Veni, vidi, vici. Maybe Julius Caesar might have said that had he built a successful SME start-up

Use it, filter it and keep building those links to maintain the momentum.

Creating, setting up and finally running the business will consume a vast amount of energy and personal resources. While enthusiasm and passion are vital ingredients in any project mix, realise you can’t always do everything yourself. Even the most noted dictators (Caesar being the original) can suffer from burnout and what we might dub bloody-mindedness.

At this point, I’d suggest factoring in something often missed until it’s self-realised: extra help and advice will be needed and should be welcomed, whatever the level of success achieved initially.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Who is the target market? How will you disseminate information and engage customers to buy? The requirement for a responsive and entirely customer-centric solution is essential.

Trends are fickle, but good business practices and an almost fanatical devotion to serving customers rarely fail to deliver, and this must be ingrained from the beginning.

Good communication is essential. Messaging should always be instructional and interactive, drawing responses from clients which make them feel – rightly so – as though they are the centre of everything you do. As organisations mature, I’ve often heard clients remark: “It’s not the same as it used to be” or “They don’t seem to care or listen anymore”.

Technology can play a huge part in making the engagement process a strong driver for new customers and increasing profitability. A thoughtful, regular, but not intrusive personalised communication plan is the most effective. Rather than blunderbuss, be more rifle shot!

The core business will attract an initial audience, with lessons learned over the past couple of years revealing the real need to diversify and become a key supplier across a broad spectrum of products and services.

Our industry is changing as it comes under pressure from the vast array of competitors able to drive into our market at a time when the core ranges are being structurally challenged.

The not-so-secret formula is to find the stuff purchasers want and the other suppliers are failing to deliver. Become the ‘go-to’ solution provider and the target audience can be expanded, services improved and extended, and the business model much more engaged.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

What investments are being made to acquire customers and how much do you expect to spend to attain the first one? Are prices both competitive and profitable? What is the path

to break even and how will you tend to cash flow before the first client puts money down? How will you maintain and expand results and relationships with other buyers?

Starting a company requires thorough preparation and a compelling message. Challenges will be there from the launch, but essential support is available from any number of sources. Forging a plan based on an innovative concept is fundamental to fostering successful relationships, building a brand you can be proud of and, ultimately, converting it into a profitable return on investment.

Complete awareness and the organisation of cash in the venture are vital components of making it flourish. Ensure a cash flow forecast and adequate working capital requirements from the beginning. It is also imperative to understand legal requirements, including compliances, certifications and processes, as the costs of not doing so could prove debilitating.

Currently, start-up expenditure in the workplace supplies industry can prove prohibitive. However, there are, dare I say it, service-led companies that can facilitate new businesses by providing everything to underpin those cost areas. Look for them, go to them and hopefully, you’re on track to cross the Rubicon.

While cash is a crucial factor, don’t forget to deliver a story designed to promote desire in your customers – and those with the potential to engage – to make them want to ask for more.

One final thought… you might want to consider waiting until after the Ides of March to get the venture going.

Trends are fickle, but good business practices and an almost fanatical devotion to serving customers rarely fail to deliver

Using culture to stand out in a saturated market

Implementing a coherent and successful organisational culture within a business takes a concerted effort from the top down

Finding unique selling propositions has long been a key consideration within sales. It is now more important than ever in the current saturated and highly challenging marketplace. With firms rapidly adapting their offering, discovering these differentiation factors is more complex than in previous years. Yet, it is still possible with imaginative leadership and an organisational culture open to enacting change.

The first crucial step is refining and positioning the organisational culture. I’m a big believer in how people are treated and what they experience working inside a business will undoubtedly be sensed by customers and the wider market. Get this element correct, and the conditions are set perfectly for determining points of difference from your competition.

There is a broad array of hard and soft ways to achieve this, but the most critical element to appreciate is the time it takes to drive the process and establish full engagement. Of course, the relative size and structure of the company will affect the timeline.

James Day is Sales and Marketing Director at Durable UK. He is also the European Office Products Awards 2023 Young Executive of the Year winner

Some of the principal steps are listed below:

CLEAR OBJECTIVE SETTING

Every management course in existence stresses the significance of specified objectives. Nevertheless, it’s surprising how many companies set unclear or unmonitored ones, or bother to establish them at all or only for part of a team. Worryingly, this is particularly prominent within mid-level and senior management who are responsible for determining objectives for others and driving the overarching strategy through the organisation.

If this level of personnel offers no tangible or measurable activities, how can a business unit or department be expected to do anything but stand still?

No matter an individual’s role, every employee must have an explicit idea of what they need to achieve over a given period, with a fixed and predefined review date. Ideally, it should be linked to the broader company plan or vision. Even better is a group objective that aligns multiple team members and departments to drive in the same direction.

A HEALTHY CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT

Healthy challenges are a necessary element of any strong culture and high-performing team. The ability of a group of individuals to accept matters of contention as the norm and even

revise their opinion rather than becoming more entrenched in their own way of thinking is a sign of a really positive working environment. These attitudes and behavioural characteristics take time to cultivate and the onus is on the leadership to set the tone here.

At an optimum level, this mindset also translates externally to customers through welltrained client managers. The cliché ‘the customer is always right’ rings true in many ways.

I feel, however, that an overemphasis on this factor can be detrimental and prohibitive to the behaviours and competencies necessary to achieve improved figures. Bespoke trading conditions, cross-border buying and customer/ market volatility may all be factors beyond any company’s control, but they can have a significant impact on numeric performance.

Care for and nurture the behaviours and performance appropriately, and I firmly believe the numbers will look after themselves.

REDEFINING THE ATTITUDE TO FAILURE

In UK society, we are intrinsically taught from a young age to avoid failure – from the first tests/ exams we sit to sporting competitions, university applications and beyond.

While there is unequivocal logic in this method to strive for success in whatever field, I think we apply a degree of negative conditioning concerning slip-ups that can bleed across into the workplace.

To use another old cliché, the most important part of making mistakes and having things not work is developing our ability to react to the situation. Every single mistake provides a learning opportunity. If the effort and application for the original task are sound, then adapting and evolving an approach based on failure is, in my experience, the clearest route to triumph.

In an innovative and fast-changing world with a huge amount of noise about market direction, the next ‘big thing’, etc – the fail and adapt model, I believe, is crucial to success. Adaptability and agility will be fundamental over the coming years.

If this strategy is not valued, it will result in a detrimental effect on company culture. It will be particularly felt by high-performing individuals who are less likely to take measured risks and therefore the long-term business performance will inevitably suffer in a changing market.

However, robust and demanding conversations around range development and what each party is bringing to the table to encourage increases in sales should be commonplace within any key account. This external aspect is conceivably the hardest to execute as many account managers do not possess the confidence or the buyer relationship to accomplish this effectively.

REDUCING THE IMPORTANCE OF TARGETS

Our post-COVID world very much lends itself to an immense focus on numeric target recovery. We have seen reducing margins through the elevated cost of producing goods – increasing pressure, with those black-and-white targets looming larger than ever.

THE RESULTS

The end goal should be a diversely skilled team with the appropriate attitude and application to further a company’s objectives. As customers’ expectations increasingly lean towards an omnichannel offering, a business providing differently skilled touchpoints is in a strong place to maximise the undoubted opportunities the market offers.

When employees are aligned culturally, with a clear understanding of what ‘good’ looks like for the relevant organisation, then even better.

The days of a lone account manager catering to all major client needs seem to be a thing of the past. By cultivating a team in the right way, they quickly become not just a key asset to a firm but an essential point of distinction.

Healthy challenges are a necessary element of any strong culture and high-performing team

Keep it simple

At some point in the past 20 years, marketing became incredibly complicated. People overthinking it, while others feel their business has been held back because they haven’t segmented their customer base, the message isn’t quite right, or they are still pinpointing their brand values. In reality, most dealers just want customers and prospects to receive good-quality marketing on a regular basis.

B2B marketing has always lagged behind the B2C world and still has a long way to go. Everyone is used to seeing advertising and branding all the time – messages are everywhere and the standards are excellent. Dealers need to match this. Years ago, we could just about get away with focusing on price and product but now the expectation is for something more sophisticated.

Most small businesses operating in our industry don’t have a marketing guru on the payroll and that’s ok. With a little time and effort,

there are still plenty of simple tricks to ensure clients receive regular communication filled with great, relevant content.

SEGMENTING CUSTOMERS/PROSPECTS

In an ideal world, we would have a perfectly segmented database so all customers are treated individually. In practice, not only is it time-consuming, but once the data is sliced and diced, it is more than likely the message is suitable for almost everyone.

Even if the communication is different, it may be impossible to create and monitor multiple campaigns each week. If the database isn’t segmented, don’t worry. It is far better to send something consistently than nothing at all.

SOCIAL MEDIA

People make fast judgements on social media, so it needs to be up to date and current – at least one post a week if possible. A business that hasn’t posted for months doesn’t come across as responsive and forward-thinking.

Software is available to schedule posts across all social platforms or focus on LinkedIn and Facebook – the two most relevant to the workplace supplies market. Tie in themes to complement what is going on the website and email marketing and never use a hard sell

Karly Haley is Marketing Director at Superstat

Stick to the basics if time and resources are in short supply

approach. Follow your most valuable customers and prospects and comment on their posts to engage with them and build a relationship.

WEBSITE

As with social media, websites need to be current. It looks poor if the News section hasn’t been updated for two years, so either post regularly or hide that portion of the site. Keep promotions and banners up to date too.

EMAIL MARKETING

Aim to email customers once a week and prospects once a month. Emails should also avoid the hard sell and be compelling. Engage the team to brainstorm ideas and look at what other businesses are doing. Provide recipients with something interesting to read that will help or inspire them at work or solve a problem. Show off your expertise.

Most people can create an email to a reasonable standard using the latest software. What isn’t easy is creating a campaign regularly, come rain or shine. Maintaining the momentum of weekly emails and social media posts and keeping a website updated can be taxing.

One week missed easily drifts into months, so outsourcing it to a third party, such as a dealer group or e-commerce provider, might be an option. Even dealers with their own marketing department have been known to struggle, but plenty of people are available to help.

PROSPECT DATA

You’ll already have a prospect list of some description, although keeping it updated can be a real challenge. Don’t worry if it isn’t great, you are not on your own. If there are thousands of names on the list and no in-house resources to cleanse it, then pay an external agency, buy a new list or ask a dealer group for help.

Purchasing data can be a minefield and the quality is variable. If heading down this route, acquire good leads from a reputable company and request email addresses for individuals, not team@ or sales@.

One way to get going with prospect marketing is to work out the companies you really want to do business with. Examples could include: all the firms on your industrial estate; estate agents within five miles of town; lapsed customers; or it could simply be the organisations you’d just love to get your hands on.

PRODUCT LINKS

In any campaign, make it easy to buy by recommending products and ensuring they are linked back to your website. Don’t forget to verify the links and consider how any mentioned items are priced.

It may sound obvious, but make sure to get someone else to proof posts or emails for spelling or design mistakes before sending out any type of communication.

CATEGORY MARKETING

Championing categories such as workwear, PPE, promotional gifts, design installations, MPS, etc is a priority for many dealers now. Here, segmenting the database can be very useful, but can be resource heavy, so come up with general ways to achieve this.

For example, include the best-selling PPE as part of a broader campaign about safety. It at least helps customers understand the breadth of product range you can advise on and supply, and how you could help their organisation to source the items they need.

VIDEO

Using video undoubtedly improves any open and clickthrough rates. However, it is easy to become distracted trying to make a video that takes hours to create for questionable benefit. Many manufacturers have readily available video content – just ask.

Marketing communication doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be on a regular basis. If ever at a loss for content, remember the one aspect people buying workplace supplies have in common is that they are all working and likely to have similar issues. These could be a never-ending to-do list, being stuck behind a desk all day and wanting to get more active or even what to have for lunch! Use this as a springboard for ideas.

Most small businesses don’t have a marketing guru on the payroll

Succeeding online in an ever-changing world

There’s no disputing the internet has made life better in countless ways, providing easy access to knowledge, facilitating information sharing and connecting people located miles apart. However, for some traditional B2B organisations, the internet has caused headache after headache.

Keeping pace with Internet of Things developments can be a very confusing and tedious exercise, especially for those with limited resources. Many have struggled to successfully introduce e-commerce into a business model designed before the online purchasing boom, and it’s easy to see why.

One of the most common mistakes we see is a company trying to force a ‘new school’ e-commerce channel into its ‘old school’ software and systems. Another is implementing an e-commerce platform which has not been created specifically for its target market and client base. In these scenarios, the fundamental error is a failure to build for the customer.

Perhaps the best-known firm to avoid this pitfall is Amazon, with its accomplishments not owed to expensive marketing campaigns or anything complex. Its success has been built on a single core value – the customer is at the centre of every decision.

From redesigning the website, adding new features and enhancing functionality, everything Amazon does is made with the purchaser in mind. Over time, this approach has enabled it to carry out improvements and become one of the world’s most lucrative online sales channels.

PUTTING

THE CUSTOMER FIRST

Customers must be at the heart of every objective relating to e-commerce, with a very distinct difference between B2B and B2C.

Those in B2B are professional buyers, typically purchasing or operation managers juggling many

priorities and tasks. They will be pushed for time and won’t have the bandwidth to browse, compare and price-check every order. B2B buyers are not paying for a product because they want to, it is being bought as it is critical for business operations or employee safety. Essentially, it’s their job.

On the other hand, those on the B2C side are what we term ‘amateur buyers’. While sometimes procuring equipment or supplies for their company, it’s not their primary responsibility. They might be a small business owner or an end user obtaining a limited quantity of items on an ad-hoc basis. Since orders are generally low volume, expectations are for fast delivery and a lower price.

As B2C shoppers aren’t making regular purchases, they won’t typically expect a highly personalised service such as their own sales rep and be happy with a slightly more limited range of products than their B2B counterparts.

In order to effectively target these different target audiences, two separate digital branches need to be established, with marketing and promotional deals tailored accordingly.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOFTWARE

But what are the primary considerations for a company looking to succeed online? In today’s highly digitalised world, the majority of people rely on their smartphones and various apps to help them accomplish day-to-day tasks. The same logic applies to an e-commerce website. The ability to add apps, plug-ins or integrations to enhance user experience provides greater visibility of the business and insight into what’s working well and what could be improved.

When choosing software, there are three main options to consider: open source, bolt-on or specialised. Open source platforms are referred to as such because the source code is made

Customers and content rule in the world of e-commerce

available for use or modification as users or developers see fit.

Not only does it mean an ever-growing community of developers know how to use the platforms, but there is also a growing library of plug-ins and apps to enhance the customer experience. However, this can take months to implement and will require additional spend with a design agency, meaning the overall cost can quickly spiral.

Bolt-on solutions are offered primarily by software companies. Traditionally, these would be ERP providers with a ‘catalogue-only’ e-commerce shopfront. The benefit of this option is that with integrated customer, product and order data, it’s easy to manage information between the two systems. The downside is a lack of design, development and content customisation which can create a very dry user experience – potentially leading to lost sales.

Specialised platforms, such as EvolutionX, are constructed for a very specific target audience. What this means is those developing the software understand the needs of the industry and can create new features to meet a company’s unique requirements.

Custom development and complex integrations can be added as a business scales up, helping to fuel growth over time. Access to a team of e-commerce and digital marketing specialists will ensure the online shopfront continues to meet the client’s needs.

CONTENT IS KING

With the most appropriate technology stack in place, the next focus should be informational, marketing and product content. Without this, a website will not be found by search engines, meaning that customers won’t be directed to the site.

• Informational content

Informational content is the basic but often overlooked material found on the ‘About us’ or ‘Contact us’ page. To achieve local search results, it’s important to ensure the address, phone and website information on other online pages, such as Facebook or Google My Business, accurately matches the website.

Other critical information is the copy published on the homepage. This is what visitors see first and can be the reason they continue to scroll or decide to leave the site altogether.

Remember to tell a good story in a customerfocused and simple way – what can they expect, and what will they want to see? Keep in mind the fact that imagery and videos go a long way towards constructing a great narrative.

• High-quality marketing content

Of equal importance is the marketing content. From informational articles and blogs to videos and social media, these elements should attract and nurture prospects (not close the sale). By creating and sharing material that will help a person visiting the website to do their job better or answer key questions, dealers can position themselves as authoritative figures.

• Product content

It goes without saying that product content is the most important type of information and includes the copy, images and resources on product detail pages.

At a minimum, a business should review the entire online catalogue on an annual basis to replace discontinued items, add new products and update pricing. For those with limited resources or struggling to regularly revise the details on individual product pages, creating SEO content for category pages is the next best thing.

It is an investment in the long-term future of a business as this copy will help to attract and close orders around the clock.

Given the pace of change and rapid development of new technologies, prospering online might at times feel like an impossible task. However, by partnering with a suitable software provider and putting the customer at the heart of every decision, dealers will be well-positioned to capitalise on the e-commerce boom.

Find out more about succeeding online by scanning the QR code below:

Paddy Donnelly is Business Unit Leader at ECI Software Solutions

Remember to tell a good story in a customer-focused and simple way

Design of the times

Anyone with an interest in the office furniture and fit-outs sector should have one date marked in their annual calendar – Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW). Now in its 12th edition, CDW took place from 23-25 May. The festival offered its biggest programme yet, featuring more than 600 events, 160 showrooms and 12 exhibition venues.

This year, CDW merged with its sister show, Design London, and witnessed thousands of visitors converging on the London neighbourhood to view the latest trends and products covering furniture, kitchens and bathrooms, materials and surfaces, textiles, lighting and decorative accessories.

As always, there was plenty to see, not least the launches and installations set within the district’s historical venues including the Crypt on the Green, the Museum of the Order of St John and the revamped Old Sessions House. Headlining this year’s CDW Presents programme was a specially commissioned installation by British artist Steve Messam who is renowned for his large-scale, inflatable artwork.

ENVIRONMENTAL OUTLOOK

A key subject matter for many manufacturers is forging a more sustainable way of living – from biodiversity to

reduce-reuse-recycle – and this was particularly evident at CDW. Everywhere on display were products made from natural materials, particularly sustainably sourced wood, circular economy projects and designing from waste themes.

There were lots of companies offering innovative biophilic designs – think office plant installations on steroids. Mycelium building blocks, an edible tablescape, felt seating made from PET and a chair relaunched in sustainable homegrown British timber, were just a few of the works created to highlight sustainability in the furniture world.

ON TREND

The event is definitely worth a visit to immerse yourself in the latest workplace trends. One of the biggest benefits of CDW is the ability to explore all the numerous showrooms that open their doors over three days.

The sensory overload that is Clerkenwell Design Week represents the best the workplace design community has to offer

It will come as no surprise to learn that ergonomics continues to feature heavily – by Fellowes Brands and Wilkhahn, for example – and plenty of exhibitors displayed furniture designed with a ‘lounge’ feel in sumptuous but hardwearing fabrics. Colours this year were certainly more muted, with soft and warm shades and an emphasis on deep purples, blues and greens. Mobility was one of the dominant themes, highlighted through an astonishing number of available products – acoustic screens, TV stands, booths, flip tables, desks and seats. A good deal of which featured battery packs for added

manoeuvrability. Dams, for example, showcased its practical but fun noughts and crosses removable seat blocks. Locker systems offering different locks –standard, digital, RFID and combination – were also headliners for many manufacturers, including Assman, Bisley and Dams.

One of the biggest benefits of CDW is the ability to explore all the numerous showrooms

Innovating for the future

Workplace360 attended the recent LOTF conference on Innovative Leadership: Succeeding in a Changing World

On 26 April, BOSS Leaders of the Future (LOTF) hosted its first in-person conference of 2023 at 3M in Bracknell. The inspirational and informative event on innovative leadership was well-attended by LOTF committee members. The day kicked off with welcome notes from BOSS Federation CEO Amy Hutchinson, BOSS LOTF co-Chairs Rachael Lewis and Alex Stone, and a keynote from 3M Director North Europe Region Consumer Business Group Jo Partridge.

Attendees were then treated to a guided tour of 3M’s Innovation Centre, which escorted visitors through a journey of 3M’s business – well worth a visit if you’re in the neighbourhood. The main drawcard, presented by Dale Carnegie Director Graham Perkins, was a 2.5-hour Emotional Intelligence in Leadership masterclass. The enigmatic Perkins led delegates in a highly interactive workshop providing practical tools and valuable advice. His session revolved around exploring emotional intelligence and its relationship with work culture, how to disagree with colleagues constructively, and how to conduct difficult conversations authentically and empathetically. He reminded LOTF members that everyone is responsible for workplace culture and “if you don’t listen, you’ll never understand”.

Other pertinent takeaways involving emotional intelligence when leading from the top included encouraging opinions, shifting the spotlight to less dominant colleagues and recognising and rewarding the right behaviour.

After lunch, BOSS Chairman and CEO of EO Group Simon Drakeford took to the stage for a keynote on evolution through innovation. Citing subject experts such as Joe Dwyer and Peter Drucker, Drakeford took the audience through a fascinating and in-depth look at what innovation really is and the steps required to attain success. He pointed out that you can “learn as much from mistakes as from anything else”.

The final session was an industry innovation panel hosted by LOTF Committee members Scott Castle and Amy Remmer. Panel guests were: Sarah Chapman (3M Technical Manager and North Europe STEM Champion), Marc Curtis (Lyreco Head of Innovation), Simon Weavers (The Cheeky Panda Sales Director) and Andrea Dale (ACCO Brands Senior Market & Category Development Manager EMEA).

A thorough and candid discussion, some of the key points from this sitting included:

• Innovation can’t be planned, but when it does happen, ask ‘why?’

• While artificial intelligence will aid innovation, ultimately, people are integral to the process. There needs to be diversity of thought: capturing different opinions, backgrounds, views and life experiences.

• There are superstars in every company – invest time in them.

• Ask customers if they have a problem that needs solving and get as much feedback as possible from every party involved. Believe in what you’re pitching.

• Most innovation comes from hard work.

If you don’t listen, you’ll never understand

Far from stationary

The 2023 London Stationery Show benefitted from a steady flow of visitors to the Business Design Centre in the nation’s capital, resulting in a 12% uptick in attendees. Taking place over the course of two days in May, this year’s event also saw a 20% increase in new exhibitors, according to organisers Ocean Media Group.

In total, over 200 companies exhibited at the UK’s only trade show dedicated to the arts & crafts, greetings cards, paper products and writing instruments industries. On display were best-selling and brand new goods from the stationery world’s leading brands as well as independent start-ups.

Sustainability was undoubtedly a prominent theme with numerous companies revealing their current items:

Snopake highlighted its recyclable EVA mesh zippa-bag; Mitsubishi Pencil Co UK presented its uni-ball Eye Ocean Care rollerball pen; and Pentel displayed its EnerGel 96 (96% post-consumer recycled material).

Located at the front of the exhibition was the Boutique Collection, offering a variety of designer stationery, unique gifts and more. This carefully curated selection allowed visitors to discover an exclusive range of products, not found anywhere else.

EDUCATION AND CREATIVITY

There was a vibrant atmosphere and all those Workplace360 spoke to on the opening day had high expectations for the two days. Many vendors provided live demonstrations and interactive activities and the

The London Stationery Show pulled in exhibitors and the crowds

Creativity Matters workshops gave attendees the opportunity to learn more about the industry’s latest offerings. There were a total of 16 sessions including creating vision boards with the Perfect Planner Company, Jakar demonstrating the most recent range of colours with Caran d’Ache, Exacompta Clairefontaine showcasing fine art inks, and Royal Talens presenting a talk on bullet journaling with Bruynzeel.

In addition, the Retail Matters Live Talks provided the chance to pick the brains of industry-leading professionals on topics such as sales, social media and merchandising, while more tailored advice was available through the Indie Matters Business Advice Clinics with free one-to-one appointments.

London Stationery Show Event Director Alex Butler said: “This year’s show was a huge success. The range of products on offer was truly remarkable and it’s clear that the introduction of arts & crafts has been a big hit with our visitors. We were delighted to see such a high number of quality buyers and already look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2024.”

The London Stationery Show will return to the Business Design Centre from 14-15 May 2024.

The opening day of the London Stationery Show featured the Stationery Matters Awards. The winners were:

• Arts & Crafts Product of the Year: Stamptitude – Custom Wax Seal Stamp

• Children’s Stationery Product of the Year: Maped Helix – Maped Color’Peps Infinity

Colouring Pencils

• Diary/Organiser/Calendar of the Year: Perfect Planner Company – 2023 Family and Lifestyle Planner

• Filing & Storage Product of the Year: Exacompta Clairefontaine (ExaClair) –Exacompta Aquarel Store Box Multi

• Gift Packaging & Wrap of the Year:

Genealityart – ’Perry’ Wrapping Paper

• Licensed Stationery Product of the Year:

Exacompta Clairefontaine (ExaClair) –Clairefontaine Inkebana Notebooks

• Notebook/Journal of the Year: This Week’s Little Tweaks – This Week’s Little Tweaks: Sleep & Rest Journal

• Novelty Stationery Product of the Year: Stone Marketing – Legami Erasable Pen Set of 3: Wild Savannah

• Social Stationery Product of the Year: FROM YOU TO ME – Personalised Book of Giftable Tickets

• Sustainable Stationery Product of the Year: edding – edding 24 EcoLine Highlighter

• Working from Home Product of the Year: Once Upon a Tuesday – Rainbow Colour Block Notepad: Daily Time Blocking Planner

• Writing Instrument of the Year: Andhand – Method Pen Mini: Brass

• Independent Retailer of the Year: Lead Tin

It’s clear that the introduction of arts & crafts has been a big hit with our visitors

Taking the high r ad

Members of the UK business supplies industry saddled up for the third Ride of Life which took place on 18 May

Leading figures in the industry recently took part in a 50 km or 100 km cycling event in aid of the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). There were 18 participants – including ICR’s Pasquale Morese and Workplace360’s Steve Hilleard – who donned lycra cycling kits and set off on the Ride of Life (ROL) through the country lanes of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Organised this year by ACCO Brands EMEA Country Manager UK & Ireland David Richardson and Pelltech General Manager Matthew Whelan, the journey was well signposted and supported by ten volunteers. Integra Business Solutions Head of Publications Steve Powell designed the jerseys worn by all riders, while Pelltech Finance Manager Sandra Hastings organised the event finances.

Starting in Bicester on a beautiful sunny day, the majority of cyclists opted for the longer route through

the picturesque Cotswolds – 103 km or 64 miles to be exact. It was no easy course, climbing more than 1,200 metres in height. The volunteers supported the cyclists along the route and set up a welcome refreshment stop halfway in stunning Bourton-on-the-Water.

Richardson commented: “Once recovered, feedback from the riders was extremely positive – a great day, with fine weather and good company. The route was mainly on quiet roads, often with amazing views over the Cotswolds countryside.

“The support from the volunteers was much appreciated – especially as I broke my chain after 50 miles and needed to be rescued!”

So far, ROL has raised £12,149 – £8,349 from the JustGiving platform; £2,000 from Workplace360’s parent company OPI; and £1,800 courtesy of Hamelin Managing Director Philip Beer.

A memorable evening

The Society of Old Friends recently met for its annual Spring Guest Night get-together

The Society of Old Friends returned to one of its favourite and most prestigious venues, The RAF Club in Piccadilly, London, for the 2023 Spring Guest Night. Almost 70 Old Friends and guests met in the Churchill Bar for a Champagne reception before heading for dinner in the Sovereign Room.

The guest speaker for the evening was Beth Tweddle MBE, Britain’s greatest-ever female gymnast who has won major competitions worldwide, including over 20 gold medals. Her speech was peppered with humour but was, first and foremost, inspirational.

Despite success at numerous Commonwealth Games and World Championships, an Olympic medal was elusive for a long time. Having narrowly missed out at Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008), the latter by just 0.025 of a point, she delayed retirement to try once more at the London 2012 Olympic Games. This time she succeeded –securing a bronze medal in front of a home audience.

The Society of Old Friends President John Logan said: “It was another great evening. The atmosphere was terrific, the food, wine and service were excellent and the company outstanding.”

Are we doing enough?

It’s time to contribute more to achieving net zero

Sustainability is at the forefront of nearly all workplace conversations. We’re all required to look beyond the cost and have strategies to create change – going far beyond recycling water bottles and No Mow May. So what role can we play?

The latest – and final – instalment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report confirms minimising global temperature increases to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels is still achievable. But this is only possible through concerted, cohesive efforts and using emerging technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 43% by 2030.

Unfortunately, the IPCC also states that even if there is a reduction in carbon emissions, we will still face the devastating consequences of severe weather and loss of biological diversity.

We must adapt our business practices and support all our stakeholders to reach net zero. To get the ball rolling, here are some suggestions that can easily be applied to your own and your customers’ business.

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE

Look around the workplace – what becomes waste and how can this be reduced? Going paperless or ensuring more efficient printing practices is one area. Another is using more environmentally friendly products like compostable bags and food boxes made of renewable resources such as bagasse. It goes without saying that reusing products and recycling wherever possible is a must.

ENERGY INNOVATION AND CONSERVATION

Did you know the average SME could reduce energy bills by 18-25% by installing energy efficiency measures, according to the Energy Savings Trust. Turning off idle equipment and lighting and switching to LED bulbs is an easy starting point. Switching to renewable energy sources like wind and solar avoids the CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Julie Hawley is Executive Director - Finance at YPO

SOURCING PRODUCTS

It’s important to utilise local and national suppliers wherever possible, as shorter distances reduce carbon miles. Also, work with them on their social value goals.

MAINTAINING FLEET

Educate drivers on efficiency, including reducing idling time, avoiding sudden accelerations and braking, maintaining a steady speed and using route planners. Consolidate deliveries and teach customers about how they can order in a more environmentally friendly way – not every purchase needs to be next-day delivery.

COMMUTING

Flexible working has already helped many organisations cut down on travel, but encourage employees to use public transport or cycle to work wherever possible.

zero

WHAT ARE WE DOING AT YPO?

YPO’s journey to net zero began last year and we believe in reducing our negative impacts while increasing our positive ones to create a better world through our actions.

We do this by including social value in all our procurements, reducing energy and waste and constantly collaborating and innovating. Our targets are to halve operations emissions by 2030, achieve net zero by 2038 and support our supply chain to achieve net zero by 2050.

The catalogue strategy has been reviewed to reduce printing by 25% for 2023 and another 25% during 2024. This year’s target has already been surpassed, with a 38% reduction in printing.

YPO has added two electric vehicles to the fleet after taking part in a UK trial aimed at gaining real-world experience in a range of distribution settings.

There is so much that we can and should be doing to reach net zero, so let’s all contribute more and make a difference.

There is so much that we can and should be doing to reach net

Do you work in the UK business supplies sector and need help to pay for training to advance your career in the industry? If so, a BOSS Federation/BOSS Business Supplies Charity Future Fund Grant of up to £750 could be available to you. To apply, simply follow steps 1-3

Download and complete the application form

Return the application form, along with 500 words explaining why you need the grant, plus references from two colleagues to support your application

The BOSS Business Supplies Charity has supported many Future Fund applicants, helping with the cost of laptops, training courses and even forklift training! Read some of our recipients’ stories:

“Being the recipient of a Future Fund grant from the BOSS Charity has been very rewarding. After 15 years in sales and then redundancy, I needed to re-train. I decided to opt for a career transition programme, and the Future Fund grant has allowed me to be accepted for ongoing training, which has significantly improved my career prospects. The application process was simple and the support I received was immeasurable.”

- Ulumma

Honorary Patron

“Following the completion of my apprenticeship in customer services, I wanted to progress into sales. Funding driving lessons was costly, so I applied to the BOSS Charity Future Fund for assistance. The application process was quick and I was awarded the grant within three weeks, allowing me to book an intensive driving course and test. This has helped me to be more customer-facing in a sales role. Thank you!”

- LB

Chris Armstrong, Commercial Projects Director, Office Power

Favourite sport or hobby to watch/play?

Definitely Rugby Union. I played at school and my son played from juniors to the first team before university. I also attend the Six Nations every year.

How do you start your day?

I take my two springer spaniels for a walk. It helps to clear my mind and plan my day.

Most embarrassing industry moment?

Starting a domino effect with a full tray of Champagne glasses at the BOSS Awards. It was smashing!

What’s something new happening in your life right now?

I’m changing my working life from being full-time with one employer to a portfolio of projects for different companies. I’m branding myself as a NED (NonExecutive Doer).

Name three items on your bucket list.

A healthy and happy family. A 1969 225cc Lambretta – that actually runs well! Driving/riding around the entire UK coastline.

Favourite holiday so far?

A 2016 trip to Borneo. I went trekking in the rainforest and visited the surrounding islands. It was amazing.

What is the wildest thing you’ve ever done?

A 10-metre canyon jump into a small pool of water. The guide said, in a very heavy French accent, if you go to the left or right you will die. Aller tout droit!

Tell us a secret that your work colleagues don’t know about you.

I’m an avid fan of the theatre (particularly musicals) and ballet – especially anything choreographed by Sir Michael Bourne OBE.

If money was no object, what would you do all day? It would be varied. Each day, I’d decide what, when and where for holidays, outdoor activities and skiing. It would also include spending meaningful time with family and friends. Plus a decent amount of cider.

Strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

A bowl of noodle ramen in Mong Kok (Kowloon district of Hong Kong). I had no idea what was in it, and I didn’t dare ask. But it was tasty.

Who is your hero?

Paul Weller. I’ve enjoyed his music since The Jam and still see him live a couple of times a year.

Do you collect anything?

Old vehicles. So far, a 1957 Land Rover Series 1, Vespa P200e from 1986 and a 1982 Lambretta GP.