Are Office Depot and Staples the least expensive place for business office supplies?
Scott D asked:
Can smaller firms compete in this industry? I’m in Los Angeles. What office supplies companies deliver and offer the very best rates?
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Can smaller firms compete in this industry? I’m in Los Angeles. What office supplies companies deliver and offer the very best rates?
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Smaller firms can compete, but not on price. Large companies place large orders with suppliers, and get better prices with those large orders. Their cost per unit is lower, so they can sell the items for a cheaper price than a smaller firm.
A smaller firm can compete on service and knowledge, though. Lynn Bodoni
March 5th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
I run a small business and have purchased office supplies for years, from
Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Costco, Quill.com, Amazon.com, and even Walmart.
I have found that there is no one place that has the lowest prices every time for every item.
That being said, I would estimate that on average I get the best prices from Costco and Amazon (for most general office supplies). For office furniture and equipment like printers, etc, I would have to add Office Max to the two just mentioned. Rof