Corporate Express - Competitors

Corporate Express Competition

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

Recent Developments

Staples Enters Movie Rental Business - Staples will enter the DVD rental business. The company will launch an in-store no-return DVD rental service, called "Flexplay" in June 2008. Customers will be able to rent the latest movie titles without having to return them to the store. The DVDs are made with technology that erases the movie after 48 hours of opening the inner package.

Office Vacancy Rate to Stabilize in 2008 - The US office vacancy rate, an indicator of demand for office supplies and paper, will be virtually flat in 2008 compared to 2007, according to Grubb & Ellis. Weak economic conditions will keep US job growth low or flat during 2008. Office space construction will rise 22 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, and new supply of office space will be about equal to demand.

Office Furniture Sales Expectations Revised Downward - The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) revised its US office furniture sales projection for 2008 downward due to continuing economic weakness. Office furniture sales are expected to decline 0.6 percent in 2008 compared to 2007. Earlier predictions had sales rising 0.5 percent.

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

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 3.8 percent between 2007 and 2012.

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.