Office supplies sales declined both online and offline in 2016 as a result of people buying a lot less paper and pens these days. Online sales of office supplies fell -5.3% in 2016 to $6.6 billion—the biggest year-
over-year drop of all major retail categories. The largest player in the industry, Staples Inc., has been steadily increasing its focus on e-commerce in the last few years. For example, Staples added 1,000 products to its e-commerce store in 2015. It also rolled out same-day delivery of online orders in select markets. In addition, it added new features to its mobile apps, such as one that allows a shopper to take a photo of her shopping list, and the products appear in her app’s shopping cart.
See below for a snapshot of the U.S. online office supplies industry. This includes data from merchants ranked in the Internet Retailer 2017 Top 1000, including those in the following segments:
Ink/Toner
Office Center
Office Furniture
Paper/Stationery
Pens/Desk Supplies
Signage/Printing
Workplace Gear/Safety
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