FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Stationery and Packaging Materials At Public Buyers Fingertips

19th June 2007

Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Online sales of stationery supplies and packaging materials to public sector buyers are booming, according to research by Buyers Guide. Several reasons were given for the growth of online purchases during telephone interviews.

Acceptance and promotion of online purchasing by the public sector was the number one reason for the growth in online office supply sales. This is tied to the Best Value Initiative where in most public sector offices, staff are no longer solely tied to a specific catalog or vendor for stationery and packaging materials. Secondly, the prevalence of broadband internet access at government offices has made finding online suppliers easier. Third, online office supply companies now offer extremely broad product ranges, often more than a storefront retailer can carry in one location. Convenience was also mentioned as a reason as most orders can be delivered next day for a flat charge.

Also, the purchasing process has been made easier with the growth of public sector purchasing cards. They are bank issued debit cards that can be issued to government employees and controlled to allow for specific product category purchases up to pre-set financial limits. According to the most recent report on UK government procurement cards in 2005, there were 526 organizations using 70,078 cards that had purchased over £500 million in products. However, the average purchase was £182.90, in line with the purchase of stationery and packaging materials.

This is where www.buyersguide.co.uk helps the UK public sector. There are dozens of companies listed on www.buyersguide.co.uk offering ranges of stationery, packaging materials, mailing equipment and office furniture.

Buyers Guide has been helping private companies get access to government contracts since 1996. With over 5,000 company listings on www.buyersguide.co.uk of specific products and services targeting public sector work, Buyers Guide is an easy solution for helping government buyers find qualified suppliers.

Companies listed on Buyers Guide range from multinationals to sole traders, but all have the goal of working on public sector contracts. These include working with schools, colleges, universities, local councils, ministry of defence, NHS, housing authorities, and government funded non-profit agencies.

The advantage that Buyers Guide offers is that the company “profile” on the www.buyersguide.co.uk website is written to specifically answer the pre-qualification questions from public sector buyers. This usually includes information like; previous work with other government bodies, years in business, industry qualifications or certifications like ISO 9002, testimonials from clients, government awards like investors in people, confirmation of equal opportunity employer status and specific contact details.

The Buyers Guide “profile” system allows government procurement specialists to quickly find companies that have government experience, the pre-qualification standards and a willingness to work with the public sector in one place saving time, effort and ultimately money.

Contact:

Buyers Guide
0191 260 5388
0191 221 2287

info@buyersguide.co.uk
www.buyersguide.co.uk

Company History

Buyers Guide, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, was established in 1996 and is the leading online directory of UK companies that are targeting the £600 billion in public spending each year. To date, there are over 5,000 company listings in 1,200 categories on the www.buyersguide.co.uk website.