AFFLINK - Competitors

AFFLINK Competition

Now Viewing AFFLINK's competition in: Office Supply and Paper Distribution (primary)

Recent Developments

US Office Vacancy Rate Expected to Rise - The US office vacancy rate, a demand indicator for paper and office supplies, may approach an all-time high in 2009, according to Grubb & Ellis. The US office vacancy rate was 14 percent in June 2008, but could rise to 17 percent by the end of 2009. Layoffs in IT, finance, and professional services will drive rising office vacancy rates.

Weak Holiday Shopping Season Expected - The 2008 holiday shopping season will be the worst in seven years, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers: sales will increase just 3.6 percent year-over-year compared to 4.2 percent in 2007. The holiday shopping season, which runs from late November through early January, is a key sales period for many office supply stores.

Another State Considers Sales Tax Holiday - Arkansas may be the next state to institute a sales tax holiday during the back-to-school sales period. Legislation would allow tax-free sales of clothing, computers, and school supplies for three days every year. Five of the six states adjacent to Arkansas have tax-free sales periods, as do many other states, which boost sales for office supply stores.

Competitive Landscape

Demand is closely tied to the level of business activity. The profitability of individual companies depends on merchandising and an efficient delivery system. Big companies have economies of scale in distribution because they can supply a wide range of products to the same customer. Small companies can compete successfully by distributing specialty products or providing superior customer service. Operations are highly automated. Within the wholesale segment of the industry, annual revenue per employee is about $300,000.

Full Industry Overview For Office Supply and Paper Distribution

Office Supply and Paper Distribution Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The domestic demand for US paper and paperboard mills, stationery products, and non-paper office supplies, an indicator for wholesaler demand, is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 4.1 percent between 2008 and 2013.

Paper, Office Supplies Production Growth Steadies

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.