Australia is “bucking the trend”, according to OPI’s latest worldwide business products survey.

 

OPI and specialist office products (OP) market researchers Martin Wilde Associates (MWA) have announced the publication of ‘The View From The Top: The State Of The Business Products Industry Report 2024-25’. 

 

Office Products News is pleased to present highlights of the report, which reveals where Australia is “bucking the trend” in several areas.

 

This is the twelfth annual OPI/MWA market research study, based on perceptions of and forecasts for the business products (BP) industry amongst senior industry executives worldwide. 

 

It is always vital that senior executives have a firm perspective on what is happening – and what will happen – in the market. 

 

The ‘The State Of The Business Products Industry Report 2024-25’, aims to provide the answers. 

 

This authoritative 300 plus page sourcebook for the BP industry is based on 56 in depth interviews with senior executives in Australia, Benelux, Canada, France, Germany, UK and the USA: 

 

Respondents by main region/country 

Australia 9% 

Benelux 7% 

Canada 7% 

France 13% 

Germany 14% 

UK 30% 

USA 20% 

 

Respondents by activity 

Distributor (wholesaler/reseller/merchant) 63% 

Product manufacturer/vendor/mill/OEM 36% 

Other 2% 

 

Overall, the research found that the differences between core OP market volume and value trends across all seven countries began to narrow in 2024 after a turbulent few years following the shock of the COVID pandemic and subsequent, very significant, price increases on most products. 

 

Overall, core OP market value was again being pulled in two opposite directions throughout 2024: on the plus side, there were still some remaining price rises being pushed through, plus some restoration of demand as workers gradually returned to the office. 

 

However, ongoing digitalisation, continued working from home (WFH) or ‘hybrid’ working, an uncertain economic and political climate adversely affecting business confidence, as well as some end-user belt-tightening, combined to pull core OP market demand down. 

 

As a result, the vast majority (92%) of all  respondents in this survey believed that core OP (traditional stationery. paper, EOS and furniture) market unit volumes had declined in 2023, slightly fewer (73%) reported that core OP market value had also fallen. 

 

Australia bucks the trend? 

However, many survey respondents in Australia saw a very different trend in terms of their own sales in 2024: only 40% of Australian respondents reported that their overall sales unit volumes had declined in 2024, while all of them claimed that their sales values had actually increased last year. 

 

So, where was this additional revenue being found in 2024? 

 

Many of those who reported an increase in sales values in Australia explained that this was as a result of diversifying away from core OP into new or adjacent categories, such as cleaning/janitorial supplies, catering/breakroom supplies, workwear, technology products and print services. 

 

The full report also shows what respondents did to lessen the impact of falling sales volumes in 2024, and what their expected sales value growth would be in 2025. The research has also unearthed some other fascinating findings: 

 

Margins are under pressure: distributor respondents in Australia were more likely to report that their average grow margins had decreased in 2024. The full report also details the gross margins achieved and expected on average by respondents in 2024 and 2025 and gives reasons for any margin changes. 

 

The report also provides answers to other key questions on the current and future state of the business products market in Australia and in the six other countries covered by the survey: 

 This vital, authoritative industry-wide report is available now for only £995 from https://www.opi.net/research/soti2025/