Office Supplies

Home-office has become part of the new normal worldwide, a process that was long in the making, but has been sped up by the coronavirus crisis. As traditional offices remained empty for long stretches of time, while paperwork increasingly migrated (and continues to migrate) to digital platforms, there had been a decline in demand for core stationery products, such as pens and paper. In the meantime, sales and demand for home office items, standalone desks, headphones, monitors, and similar equipment had grown. The U.S. and Europe are the industry’s top mature markets, driven by the trend of online ordering. Latin America and Asia-Pacific, on the other hand, are low maturity regions where global players do not have a strong presence, thus presenting a significant potential market for expansion and development.

Office supplies export value worldwide
17.7bn USD
Total annual sales of Staples
8.02bn USD
Leading store-based electronics, office, leisure, and entertainment retailer worldwide
Walmart

Market size

Office supplies and stationery revenues to decrease in the U.S.

Industry revenue of “office supplies and stationery stores“ in the U.S. from 2012 to 2024 (in billion U.S. Dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Industry revenue of “office supplies and stationery stores“ in the U.S. from 2012 to 2024 (in billion U.S. Dollars)

The size of the global office supply market was projected to grow and reach over 270 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. In the U.S., one of the industry’s more mature markets, office supplies and stationery store revenue has shown a downward trend since 2012 and will continue to do so in the coming years. By 2024, industry revenues in the North American country were estimated to reach a total of 8.2 billion U.S. dollars.

U.S. office stationery wholesale industry revenue
Office supply stores Canada
UK’s newsagents and stationery stores revenue

Market segments

Less demand for paper products as well as printers

Amount U.S. consumers planned to spend on back-to-college school supplies from 2007 to 2023 (in U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Amount U.S. consumers planned to spend on back-to-college school supplies from 2007 to 2023 (in U.S. dollars)

The industry's segments encompass stationery, school supplies, and office supplies, combined with PCs, office equipment, and office-specific furniture. In the United Kingdom, manufacturers' sales of pencils, paperboard binders, folders, envelopes, and notebooks have shown a downward trend in the past years. While manufacturers' sales of printers and similar devices had grown considerably in 2017 and 2018, as of 2021, manufacturers sales were still below 2017 levels.

Total back-to-school spending in the U.S.
UK manufacturers' sales of paper, notebooks, and notepads
Printers

Industry trends

Growing online sales of office stationery and supplies

CAGR of leading e-commerce electronics, office, leisure, and entertainment retailers worldwide from 2021 to 2026

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Consumer convenience, easy payments, and lower costs are some of the reasons why online sales present immense benefits and growth opportunities for the industry. Moreover, the increasing demand for recyclable stationery products is another major trend driving market growth. Many end-users are opting for eco-friendly products driving suppliers to reinvent themselves into eco-friendly entities.

Leading office & leisure e-tailers
Online stationery sales in South Korea
Online vs. offline purchases by category in Colombia

Industry leaders

The United States, home of the top office supplies industry leaders

Sales of Office Depot in North America from 2013 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

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Further details: Visit original statistic Sales of Office Depot in North America from 2013 to 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

With geographical presence in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and a few countries in Latin America, Staples and Office Depot are amongst the leaders in the office supplies industry. Jointly, they generated a revenue of over 16 billion U.S. dollars, however, they were easily surpassed by Amazon. As the world further transforms into a digitized environment, Amazon’s office supplies category is raking in more money among customers. Other top players include 3M, Alibaba, and Walmart.

Amazon
Staples
3M

State of the industry

  • Stationery and office supplies in the United Kingdom (UK)
  • Staples
  • Office furniture in the U.S.
  • Office furniture in the United Kingdom (UK)
  • Online shops: staples.ca shoppers in Canada
  • Office real estate in London (UK)
  • Work from home & remote work

Industry definition

This industry is comprised of establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: retailing new stationery, school supplies, and office supplies; retailing a combination of new office equipment, furniture, and supplies; and retailing new office equipment, furniture, and supplies in combination with selling new computers. Statista offers information about industry leaders and their key financial indicators, industry revenues, number of office supplies stores, and number of employees.

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