Andy Braithwaite
Sycamore completes Essendant acquisition
Staples Inc has confirmed that an affiliate of its owner Sycamore Partners has completed the acquisition of North American office…
Staples Solutions accelerating decentralisation
European reseller Staples Solutions is making significant job cuts at its head office in Amsterdam as its decentralisation programme gathers…
SPOT reveals new CEO identity
UK office supplies group SPOT (Spicers/OfficeTeam) has confirmed the appointment of its new CEO following the recent departure of Jeff…
Essendant expects Staples transaction to close soon
Following yesterday’s news that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved its acquisition by Staples, Essendant has written to its…
Big Interview: Wholesale changes
Creating a sustainable national office products wholesaling specialist has proved to be somewhat elusive in Australia over the years. That…
Analysis: GSA commits to e-marketplace model
Barring any unexpected roadblocks in the coming months, Amazon appears to be heading for pole position on the US federal…
SPOT appointment expected soon
Outgoing Spicers/OfficeTeam (SPOT) CEO Jeff Whiteway has told OPI that the process of recruiting his successor is nearing completion. Whiteway’s…
Staples CEO reiterates Essendant promises
Staples Inc CEO Sandy Douglas wrote to Essendant counterpart Ric Phillips earlier this week to express his “unwavering excitement” at…
ADVEO Spain moves nearer liquidation
European wholesaler ADVEO has revealed that two of its subsidiaries in Spain have requested liquidation proceedings to be implemented. In…
US dealer groups agree to merge
The three leading office products dealer groups in the US have signed a letter of intent to merge the organisations…
Georgia-Pacific to exit office paper category
US-based paper and hygiene products manufacturer Georgia-Pacific (GP) has confirmed it will permanently shut down its last remaining communication paper…
Same-store growth at Ryman
Despite the widely reported woes of the UK retail sector, stationery and office supplies chain Ryman reported a same-store sales…
Essendant blames government shutdown for Staples delay
US wholesaler Essendant has updated its staff and customers on the status of its pending acquisition by Staples. In documents…
Office Power lifts EO Group top line
UK-based online reseller and technology platform provider EO Group has filed its most recent set of annual accounts. For the…
Private equity firm reaches deal with ADVEO
ADVEO’s operations in France, Italy and Belgium are set to be acquired by private equity firm Sandton Capital Partners. In…
NOPA concerns over GSA e-marketplace
Mike Tucker, CEO of US office products trade association NOPA, has told OPI that he is concerned that Amazon will…
Interview: Lyreco CEO Hervé Milcent aiming for PPE leadership position
Lyreco has signalled its intent to become a force in the European personal protective equipment (PPE) market following the acquisition…
Hot Topic: Creative disruption
The growth of Amazon Business in the past three and a half years has been impressive by anyone’s standards, including…
Analysis: Wight makes Depot switch
Much has been made of the big boxes snapping up independent dealers in the US. But it was a high-profile…
Analysis: ADVEO – who’s picking up the pieces?
The future of the constituent parts of European wholesaler ADVEO should be clearer by the time you read this issue…
Big read
Sycamore to cash in on Staples investment?
Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is intending to recoup around $1 billion in cash from Staples Inc and possibly take…