Purchasing trends
There has been a big shift in purchasing trends for office supplies this year. In fact, it probably won’t be a great surprise when we tell you that hygiene products, signage and safety screens have risen to the top of companies’ priorities over the last few months. There was also a greater move towards ordering office home office desks, chairs and ergonomic supplies online to help create comfortable and safe working spaces for employees working from home.
With your business supplies provider, it’s great to know that during these challenging times they are able to supply a varied range of products including office stationery, print, signage, hygiene, PPE, furniture and catering items to name a few!
This means you will spend less time searching for items you need and have fewer invoices to process, saving you both time and money. Ordering from one trusted supplier during challenging trading times like these is important as supply can fluctuate. Centralising orders with one supplier is a sustainable purchasing move and will also help to simplify the delivery process.
Working from home
Of course, the most radical change in office work this year has been the move to working from home. Remote working has been the ‘new normal’ during the lockdown, and it has been so successful that companies are looking at downsizing and moving to smaller premises. This has brought about a shift in purchasing trends, and there has been a consequent surge in the need for equipment for the home office such as desks, chairs and technology. Office workers are adapting technology to remote working practices, and webcams and headsets have been trending products.
Keeping schools safe
The world of education has also had to adapt in order to get students back to school safely. Our education supplies are as popular as ever as the autumn term begins, but we have seen equally strong demand from schools for our COVID-19 essentials to help keep pupils, teachers and other staff safe. These include masks and visors, and floor stickers and signage to ensure pupils stay socially distanced, as well as hand-sanitising stations, protective screens and cleaning products.
Retailers are open
Retail is another sector that has seen major changes. Again, PPE products such as disposable gloves, hand sanitiser and visors have become a staple for small and large stores alike. Protective screens are an absolute necessity to protect staff and customers, as is social distancing signage and floor tape. These can be bought alongside the everyday essentials that are always needed by shops such as till rolls, carrier bags, cash bags, banknote checkers, etc.
One emerging purchasing trend that will continue is the shift towards eco-friendly products. The growing demand for companies to be more sustainable is not just in terms of using recycled paper – it is across their use of all products, from pens to cleaning supplies and face masks to furniture. That is why we label products available online that have eco-friendly credentials, making it easier for our customers to do the right thing. And as more products come on the market to meet the increase in demand, the more we will be able to help. Read more about sustainable purchasing here.
