Whether you’re going back to school or work in an office, office supplies are crucial to the work you do. For kids, part of it is functionality and the other part is how cool their school supplies look — indeed, a study of back-to-school shopping patterns noted that the average cost spent on school supplies from kindergarten to the 12th grade was almost $700. Your shopping cart will probably have a spiral bound graph paper notebook or two, some cheap ring binders, pens, pencils, etc.
In an office, where materials have to be organized and may possibly be shipped or mailed to consumers, other companies, or overseas, things like bubble mailers, 3 ring binders, and labels are important. If you’re looking for office supplies in bulk or a specific type of office supply, looking at smaller, more specialized companies might be your best bet.
What’s the Demand For Office Supplies?
Everyone uses office supplies — whether it’s a spiral bound graph paper notebook or inkjet labels or numbered dividers for binders — even if they’re not in an office setting. Kids use them for school and at home for creative projects and even at home, such basic items can be useful to keep a home office organized, to organize recipes or bills, or keep track of correspondence. In the office, the average worker uses about 10,000 sheets of paper per year. With so much paper being used, it stands to reason that a significant amount of ink and toner gets used as well and must be restocked. And when you add in pens, pencils, paper clips, notepads, and all the other myriad items that keep an office running, you can begin to see why office supplies are such an important part of the work and private world.
Why You Should Buy From Office Supply Stores
Although about one-third of back to school shoppers and almost 50% of people shopping for college will go online to make their purchases, shopping in a physical store can actually be more helpful sometimes. For one thing, it can be fun to go in and choose all your various office supplies for the first time and cater them to your particular style or preference. Additionally, paying for shipping can get expensive, especially if you’re only getting a few items, and if you have any questions, you can ask a sales representative in person, instead of navigating email and automated voice messages to find the answer to your problem.
You can also often gauge quality better in person. Although that one spiral bound graph paper notebook may be two dollars cheaper, if you see it in person, you might realize that the quality is much worse than buying a slightly more expensive one. In some cases, if you or your company builds up a relationship with your local office supply store, they may also give you discounts on bulk orders or be more willing to help find a solution for any problems that may arise with your products or orders.
Next time you’re looking to purchase some office school supplies, head out to your local office supply store and support some local business!