As the world slowly begins to open up again, the definition of the workplace continues to evolve. With schools reopening, many parents are returning to the office. Alternatively, some employers have realized that certain jobs can be performed remotely and are keeping these employees at home. What does that mean for office products? Fortunately, suppliers have risen to the occasion with versatile, tech-savvy, and eco-friendly products that are perfect for both in-person and work-from-home scenarios!
Rick French at PCNA has noticed top trends in office products centered around sustainability and retail brands. “We continue to see demand for eco-friendly items including bound notebooks and journals made from recycled cotton, reclaimed recycled leather, FSC bamboo, rPET polyester and writing instruments made from wheat straw, FSC bamboo, and rPET,” he details. “Because of this, we’ve been able to launch a variety of eco items for this market—specifically servicing different consumer applications and price points.
“We’ve also seen an uptick in demand for items from popular retail brands when it comes to office products,” French continues. “Tech-enabled and tech-integrated office items like the cloud-connected smart digital notebooks from Rocketbook and Bluetooth enabled earbuds from Skullcandy continue to do well because of recent trends with the Work from Anywhere model.”
PCNA’s French points out that demand for office products has taken off recently this quarter, with bookings trends, writing, and notebook large orders and new customer order activity seeing its highest growth all year across the industry—particularly in trending areas such as eco, brands, and tech. “Refillable and bound notebooks and spiral journals, across price points and decoration methods, are picking up steam as companies begin returning to the office as an innovative way to generate excitement around company branding, culture, and values,” he adds.
Kellie Claudio at Sweda Company, LLC notes an abundance of full-color imagery on journals. “Great company logos with beautiful background imagery of the outdoors is being incorporated into the creative process,” she elaborates. “We have put images of individuals which turned out incredibly cool. The customer personalized the journals with full color images of each individual.”
The absence of in-person meetings and general notetaking is driving this journal trend, Claudio maintains, pointing out that the result is suppliers getting creative with stationery and desk accessories. “Cool desktop accessories really need to fit the consumers’ home work area as well as their personal space in the office,” she affirms. Additional trends include color, motivational sayings, and music. She adds that demand has been climbing and steadily returning to pre-Covid times.
At KTI Promo, anything attributed to working from home has been a huge hit, Joshua Pospisil reports. “This trend has been in such high demand thanks to the pandemic, forcing so many to work home and need equipment for virtual meetings and such. “Demand has been through the roof, which is so awesome to see!” he raves.
Suppliers are pulling out all the stops to fit all office needs—whether in-person or remote. French at PCA cites the following four new items as having the most favorable responses from resellers and end-users alike: the 7142-50 Desktop White Board, the SM-2394 UV Desktop Phone Sanitizer, 2800-71 Recycled Leather Bound JournalBook, and the 0911-20 Rocketbook Mini Notebook Set.
“People love the desktop white board for the extra storage it creates and the large whiteboard surface for taking notes and posting reminders,” French says. “The UV Sanitizer speaks to the new normal of keeping things clean, provides a full-color imprint area and sits on the coveted-of- advertising, real estate choices—the desk.
“We’ve seen huge success with the recycled leather bound JournalBook for its recycled leather cover material that makes it perfect for deboss and silkscreen and the use of FSC paper in the book itself,” French continues. “Not to mention that it’s under $10 and part of our eco collection so 1 percent of all sales support our 1 Percent for the Planet partnership. Our Rocketbook Mini has seen huge success for the convenience it provides. Its small profile makes it easy to carry around and there’s no worrying about ever running out of paper!”
KTI Promo has just brought in its LED Webcam (MA43), Pop-Up Green Screen (MA47), Multifunction Desktop Charger (MA20), Wireless Car Charger (MA35), and Selfie Ring Light (MA41), with “tons” more products in the works to launch early summer, Pospisil notes. Office top performers include the company’s Selfie Ring Light (MA41), Air-Buds Pro (EH25), WC (Wireless Charging) Power Bank (PB109), LED Wireless Charging Disc (WC13), and Smart Tag (SA05).
In addition to Sweda’s top-selling journals. the company’s Tower of Clips and Desk Tops in a box are “super popular,” Claudio notes. Other high performers include desk-top speakers and wireless earbuds. “Music makes us smile and reminisce while working,” she states. “Where you might not have been able to have your personal wireless speaker playing your favorites in an office, we see desktop speakers as well as wireless earbuds a must have for that relaxing escape from the noise and distractions at home.”
Promoting office products and accessories is a matter of finding the balance between in-office items and remote products. “This category of the business has been the most challenging to build back,” Claudio acknowledges. “With full color imagery and new ways to personalize, we have seen the bright lights ahead of this build back to pre-Covid demand.”
KTI Promo’s Pospisil also emphasizes the diversity of these items. “While some products are geared for working from home, they are also perfect for working in the office--or really anywhere for that matter,” he comments. “Tech these days is just as important as ever, so just drive home the fact that all of these products are useful for everyday life.”
French at PCNA further expands on the aforementioned thoughts. “Especially now, in this limbo state between returning to the office and working from home, differentiate yourself,” he urges. “An easy way to do this is to bundle items together in a kit. A gift box that includes a phone sanitizer and a mug not only fills an office need but is a creative way to extend marketing reach through a gift. Food is a nice addition too. At PCNA, we offer a variety of food and beverage options that can be included with our products to provide a complete experience.”
Case Study
Rick French, PCNA
Almost overnight, 700 employees (three locations) at the call centers for a large insurance company went from working in an office to a work from home situation. The company had to quickly get some office basics out to their team. Enter the 3002-39 Faux Marble Desktop Set and the 7200-23 Marble Hard Bound JournalBook™ Bundle Set. In five days, both the journal and the pen were decorated, bundled, and drop shipped to the call center employees at their homes. A $13,000 win for the distributor!