Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 2,100 firms in the US sell office supplies, school supplies, stationery, computers, office equipment and furniture at retail. Firms may also offer business-related services, such as printing, copying, mailing and shipping, or technology-related services, such as software installation.
Competition from Alternative Stores
Office supply and stationery retailers face stiff competition from a variety of alternative brick-and-mortar channels, including wholesale clubs, discount stores, mass merchandisers, food and drug stores, and computer and electronic stores.
Competition from Online Retailers
Like most of the retail industry, office supply and stationery retailers face intense competition from online-only channels, which offer convenience and enjoy lower overhead costs.
Industry size & Structure
The average office supply and stationery retailer employs about 33-34 workers and generates $4-5 million annually.
- The office supply and stationery retailing industry consists of about 2,100 firms that employ 71,000 workers and generate about $10 billion annually.
- The industry is highly concentrated; the top eight companies account for 84% of industry revenue.
- Large firms include ODP Corporation (Office Depot and Office Max) and Staples. Stationery retail chains include Hallmark Gold Crown (independently owned and stores owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc.) and Paper Source (Elliot Investment Management).
Industry Forecast
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Dec 9, 2024 - Office Market Shows Signs of Improvement
- The US office market posted higher net absorption in the third quarter, and vacancy rates remained steady, perhaps signaling that demand for office space has hit bottom and is back on the upswing, according to a recent report by the real estate firm CBRE. Net absorption in Q3 hit 4.3 million square feet – up about 87% from Q2 2024 – which marked the second consecutive quarter of increasing office space demand. Absorption also exceeded the 3.5 million square feet of new office space that came online in Q3 2024. The office vacancy rate in Q3 2024 was unchanged at 19%, a positive signal after nine quarters of rising vacancies. Third-quarter leasing activity decreased slightly from Q2 2024 but rose more than 11% over Q3 2023. Higher office occupancy could provide a boost to office supplies sales.
- Office supply retail firm ODP Corporation (Office Depot and OfficeMax) recently reported third-quarter 2024 sales of $1.8 billion, down 11% compared to Q3 2023. The firm said the drop in sales was primarily due to its Office Depot consumer business, which had 53 fewer locations than during the same reporting period in 2023. The Office Depot division also experienced fewer transactions, and sales in the company’s ODP Business Solutions division were down compared to Q3 2023. ODP posted a net income of $68 million in Q3 2024, down from a gain of $82 million in Q3 2023. For its full-year fiscal 2024 guidance, ODP expects sales of about $7 billion.
- According to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF), more US consumers shopped between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday than expected. An estimated 197 million people shopped during the five days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday; the NRF had forecast about 183.4 million shoppers. At 124.3 million, online shoppers exceeded the 121.4 million estimated in-person store shoppers over the five-day period. The number of shoppers was down compared to the 200.4 million who made purchases in the Black Friday to Cyber Monday period in 2023. However, the average amount spent increased by $8 to $235.
- Incidents of shoplifting appear to be on the rise, according to two studies released in November by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ). However, due to different data sources – two within the FBI – getting accurate data is challenging, according to reporting by Retail Dive. In the first half of 2024, shoplifting in 23 US metropolitan areas increased 24% compared to the same period in 2023. FBI data shows conflicting pictures of the state of shoplifting in the US. The Bureau’s Statistics from the Summary Reporting System suggest current shoplifting rates are about even with 2019 levels. However, the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) shows that shoplifting has risen 93% since 2019. The CCJ notes that the NIBRS is the newer system, and more agencies are beginning to report into it, which could be spiking the numbers. The CCJ suggests that the Summary Reporting System is likely the most accurate measure of shoplifting activity for now.
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