GNS closes OfficeSmart, partners with Office Choice

GNS yesterday announced the closure of the OfficeSmart B2B discount stationery program it has run for more than twenty years. It has replaced this with a partnership with Office Choice, a marketing group for independent stationery businesses.

Here is the GNS announcement:

Dear OfficeSmart member,

Since OfficeSmart was launched in 1995, the stationery and office supplies market has evolved significantly, with the rise of specialist independent dealer groups, a change in the role and emphasis of stationery within newsagencies and the emergence of Officeworks’ SME offering.

OfficeSmart members have also evolved and are no longer a homogenous group of large successful newsagents looking to drive success in the B2B market: many are ecommerce-first businesses, there is a very wide range of member stationery revenue, and there is a significant variation in views of how OfficeSmart should be marketed.

Having conducted a review of the OfficeSmart programme over recent months, member feedback suggested:

• the relaunched website, catalogue and brochures for OfficeSmart were unlikely to be capable of satisfying members’ needs now or into the future;
• members’ needs had evolved (both in terms of breadth and depth) to the point that it would be virtually impossible for GNS to implement or manage a cost-effective programme that would fulfil these successfully;
• some members’ only reason for membership was access to discounted pricing for their retail newsagencies; and
• members’ expectations of OfficeSmart programme features were not aligned with the true costs of such a programme.

On that basis, we have concluded that a partnership model for OfficeSmart – leveraging existing proven solutions for member services – is the right approach for the future and best safeguards members’ and shareholders’ interests.  We are therefore excited to announce the entry into a partnership with Office Choice Limited, one of Australia’s major B2B office supplies and business solutions groups, to support OfficeSmart members’ needs into the future.

Office Choice has the resources available and in place today to provide the appropriate level of marketing support to OfficeSmart members wanting to maximise the stationery opportunity.  Office Choice’s strong brand and marketing activity – including a bespoke B2B-focussed full line catalogue, seasonal sales catalogues and promotional flyers – drive foot traffic and sales enquiries.  And having invested significantly in their website in recent years, Office Choice’s e-commerce platform is a powerful and proven solution to drive stationery revenue.

Office Choice will provide a high service, low cost membership model that will provide a compelling offer to OfficeSmart dealers, offering an unrivalled level of customised service, marketing and support.  Both GNS and Office Choice are confident that the partnership will greatly assist active OfficeSmart members to accelerate their office supplies objectives within their businesses.

Importantly, nothing will change as to how you source or purchase your stationery and office supplies: GNS will still supply to you in full on the same delivery schedule and terms as you are used to today.

I’d like to personally thank you for being part of OfficeSmart and for the feedback from those members who provided it. I fundamentally believe that these changes will result in an improved offering for your customers and better position your business for success.

The new partnership will take effect on 1 July and as such, May/June 2018 will be the final OfficeSmart invoice cycle, reflecting the continued provision of advantageous pricing and hosting/support of the website.

I have no doubt many of you will have questions about how the transition will work. Given the significance of this change, further communications will follow in the coming week regarding seminars, state road shows and videos. In the interim please feel free to contact Jamie Keyzer (Office Choice National Operations Manager on 0439 060 962) or Dragi Ristevski (GNS General Manager – Sales on 0417 663 260).

I am very excited about this partnership and the positive impact this should have on your business.  Please feel free to reach out to me in the meantime if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Yardley
CEO | GNS Wholesale

Disruption of the traditional newsagency business continues. I expect we will see more announcements from the new management team at GNS.