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  • hybrid office zoom mtg 22Furniture mkt on
    high hybrid alert!

    Corp office recovery softer.
    Strong WFH demand slows


    Furniture Market Review Q4'22-23: Covid crushed the corporate furniture market. Leading makers still report -30% demand declines compared with the 2019 norm. During Covid, WFH suppliers like Amazon, Wayfair, DWR (MillerKnoll) exploded with record revenues, now normalizing. We review leaders disappointing results and the new hybrid work developments accelerating the wellness & ergonomics movement e.g. Fellowes. Updated for Steelcase/MillerKnoll

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  • Emperor no clothes 23Old OP Emperors

    have no clothes!

    Trad product sellers outed
    by productivity srvcs shift


    There's been much recession talk recently: macro economic headwinds, high inflation, depressing optimism. How much is real given the huge prices boost on lower volumes? Whilst ex-leaders eg. Acco, HP, Newell, 3M & VOW decline despite complacent commentary, progressive players reinvented to meet the 'personalized productivity service' needs of users. We highlight losers and the big winners..Complete

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  • resilient leaders 23Bouncebackability
    Index Leaderboard

    Q4'22 analysis highlights
    resilient Winners v Losers


    Reports are all in for Business Supply players in Q4'22. Predictably they show inflated profits but weak sales recovery v pre-Covid 'norm' Q4'19. Proficiency Index reports the Leaderboard of makers, wholesalers & dealers' 'Bouncebackability' performance. It covers 100 leading paper & printer makers, hygiene, foodservice and packaging suppliers, OP/furnituremakers and retailers Updated

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  • Screen Shot 2022 12 09 at 2.14.03 PMHealthy Hygiene
    market normalizes

    Who won/lost market share?
    Price inflation average +12%


    Hygiene is now #1 business supply category alongside technology. Progressive business suppliers: brandmakers, dealers have pivoted into hygiene, safety, foodservice & packaging, WFH-tech & wellness services. Proficiency Index Q4'22 analysis is almost complete with brand volumes slowing, boosted by double-digit price hikes. Updated for KPTissue, Sappi & Suzano. Diversey delayed to 22Mar

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  • women marketeers top 9 jul16Top 50 Women
    Marketers 2023

    Leaders in creativity, sales,
    brand growth performance


    Marketing to businesses by brandmakers & resellers was traditionally dominated by men. As we celebrate International Women's Day, Proficiency Index recognises the most successful women leaders. This is 16th edition of 'Top 50 Women in Business Supply', the market's real growth achievers, including new entrants from progressive independent dealers.

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Armbruster sara Steelcase 23 thumb medium300 0Steelcase stuck in

hybrid hiatus era?

Collab specialists pivot to
furnish hybrid workspaces


Steelcase the leader in collaborative office furnishings, recovery stalled in Q4'23 to 28Feb'23. Disappointingly, ceo Sara Armbruster rreported a softer order book related to macroeconomic concerns, despite investments in the hybrid work future. What is happening with the former innovative industry leader? Results analysis updated

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owen andi HM thinkingMillerKnoll's hybrid

work growth stalls

New concepts unable to
offset soft RTO demand


MillerKnoll
 the enlarged #1 furnituremaker maintained its focus on hybrid office demand, but the soft contract market did not show signs of recovery. Retail designs slowed too after recent growth. CEO Andi Owen is focused on mobile systems innovation and cost cutting. Results analysis updated

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bezos racing ahead rivalsDo AMZN analysts
discount assets?

'BuywPrime' success tests
signify biz resellers growth


All the press talk recently about Amazon has been negative: -27000 job cuts? Slower AWS growth? Slowing ecommerce, competitors catching up? Stalled Fulfilment Centre plans? Wishful thinking maybe? It's still winning market share across the board and perhaps readjusting itself for another big growth push? New developments are a Prime example!

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Screen Shot 2023 03 21 at 11.09.03 AMFlexTech takeover;
joins MTS leaders 

Maryland MPS dealer acq.
drives national expansion


Flex Technology Group (FTG),
the US #3 managed technology services provider has made a major MPS acquisition in the Mid-Atlantic region moving it closer to market leaders Marco & Pacific. CEO Frank Gaspari claims group revenues over "$400m with a strong pipeline of dealers looking to join FTG"

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Jones Andrew OTG 22Obsolete Trading
Group dragging?

Will PG really expand
business supply range?

 
Paragon 
the print & digital comms group entered the office market by 'fire-sale' buys of Spicers & OfficeTeam in 2020. Renamed OTGroup in Sep'21 it added Office Depot's UKI contract division. At the peak 10yrs ago, aggregate sales were £850m+; today, £150m and sinking fast, stripped of talent and dealer partners. Will OTG really invest in range expansion? We speak with ceo Andrew Jones... 

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Screen Shot 2023 03 20 at 1.57.22 PMAmazon+Microsoft
jobcuts overhyped

37k layoffs pale in comp/w
770k additions since 2019!


WallStreet's obsession with recession rhetoric particularly highlighted by CNBC knows no bounds. Perspective please! Amazon increased employees by +700k over the past 2yrs to 1.5M. Meanwhile, Microsoft increased employees +50% to 221k. The recent sad 37k cuts (AMZN 27k + MS 10k) were a minor adjustment for 2 strongly growing giants....

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Screen Shot 2023 03 20 at 12.07.16 PMHPE Greenlake
grabs integrator

Enterprising move boosts
MSP cloud client services


HP Enterprise 
just gave its GreenLake on-premises pay-per-use cloud service an AI-based boost with its acquisition of a specialist integrator. “Customers manage different cloud environments that dramatically increase the cost of digital operations management,” said Fidelma Russo. 
This could be a game changer....

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Wieland Diversey PhilipDiversey divested;
decline diversion?

Ingram owner Platinum's
chemicals maker acquired



Diversey,
 the $2.8Bn in sales, international hygiene & infection protection provider just reported delayed and disappointing results for Q4'22. Meanwhile, it changed ownership again, from Bain Capital to public, now back to privately owned via Platinum Equity chemicals making subsidiary. Updated

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Emperor no clothes 23Old OP Emperors

have no clothes!

Trad product sellers outed
by productivity srvcs shift


There's been much recession talk recently: macro economic headwinds, high inflation, depressing optimism. How much is real given the huge prices boost on lower volumes? Whilst ex-leaders eg. Acco, HP, Newell, 3M & VOW decline despite complacent commentary, progressive players reinvented to meet the 'personalized productivity service' needs of users. We highlight losers and the big winners..Complete

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Fedex truck crash off road 22FedEx fails from 

faulty leadership 

Losing market share. Cuts
costs and customer service


FedEx ceo Raj Subramaniam opaquely reported again on disappointing & inflated Q3'23 results. Huge price hikes boosted sales, but disguised serious market share losses to UPS & Amazon.The 'market cap gap' between similar sized UPS widened to $109Bn. The future is bleak for arrogant, cost cutting  'new boss, same as the old boss'; who blames the (strong) economy, not incompetent execution. Updated

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