The cost of office supplies are scrutinized by small businesses more
today than ever. Many office products buyers are considering switching
to private label or store brand items to cut the cost of office
supplies. However, many have the concern that the low prices of private
label office products do not mean real savings because of inferior
quality. Do private label office products really offer the best value,
or do you simply get lower prices offset by poor quality?
The
answer actually varies by product category. As an office supplies expert
who tests and reviews products on a regular basis, I've found many
private label items are as good and sometimes better quality than the
national brands, at a significant savings. I've also seen store brand
office products with poor quality, where you would be far better off
sticking with the more expensive national brands.
The first key
to saving money and getting value from private label office supplies is
knowing what product categories give you both low prices and high
quality. The other key is understanding what value brands are best, and
where to find them. It's also important to know upfront what store
brands to avoid. Let's start by addressing which private brands have the
highest overall quality in general terms.
Universal is my choice
for the highest quality value brand. Pricing is usually 30-50% less
than national brands, and the quality is often identical. In fact, many
Universal products are manufactured by the leading national
manufacturers, and so you aren't trading quality for lower prices in any
way. My second choice is Sparco. Like Universal, they often uses
nationally known manufacturers to make many of their products. Both are
good choices, and better than "office superstore" private label brands.
The
huge big box chains often use overseas manufacturers so they can buy
directly from the lowest cost suppliers. However, their buying practices
force these suppliers to drastically cut quality to give them the low
pricing they demand. So to summarize, Universal and Sparco brands are
typically good value brands, but be leery of office superstore private
label items.
Now let's review the best product categories for
private label. For clarity, I'm speaking of Universal brand items in
particular. The first category that's a "no brainer" for value brands is
binders for the office. Be it standard 3 ring binders, view binders, or
higher quality D-ring binders, the Universal brand offers good quality
at prices up to 50% less. Another category is "standard" filing
supplies. Universal items like classification folders, hanging folders,
and colored file folders are great values. I will say if you need
specialty folders for medical filing needs, stick with Smead, the best
known national brand.
Other categories with good quality and
value are Universal copier and printer paper, address labels, markers,
highlighters, and smaller items for the office like staples, paper clips
and rubberbands. Universal legal pads, add rolls, easel pads, and many
other "office staples" have national brand quality and discount pricing.
Which
Universal items should you avoid? I feel 3M Post-It Notes are the best,
and that no one has been able to duplicate their quality. If you want
to save money, don't do it on Post-Its. This applies to Post-It flags
and Super Sticky notes too. Staplers and paper punches are another area
where Universal prices are much lower, but the performance and quality
are not up to national brand standards like Bostitch and Swingline.
Other categories to be careful of are desk accessories and higher end
shredders. Other than these few categories, Universal will save you big
money and give you the quality you expect.
Where do you find
Universal brand products at low prices? Universal is the "value brand"
carried by many independent office products dealers. I buy all my office
supplies online from a family owned company that does good work in the
community by donating half their profits to charity. They offer free
next day nationwide shipping, have guaranteed low prices, and I feel
good when I buy from them. I recommend you always stay away from the big
box chain stores. Their private label quality is poor, and I avoid big
corporations whenever possible. Hopefully this gives you the research
you need to save money on private label office supplies without trading
good quality in the process.
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