BOSS/GfK Panelmarket - Summary for February 2024

BOSS/GfK Panelmarket

GfK track and audit 36 product categories in the Office & Stationery sector and produces time comparable data for Sales Value, Sales Units/Packs and Sales Pieces – as well as calculating an average pack price and sales price.

Data is now split across two Retail channels and one B2B channel (Systemhouses) - these combine to provide the overall Panelmarket total, the Retail channels encompass around 90% of the Panelmarket total.  GfK estimate that the overall total for the 36 selected products, as reported in the Panelmarket, covers around 75% of the estimated UK market total for the 36 selected products.

Latest available data is up to (and including) February 2024.

Total Data (Panelmarket)

• Sales in February 2024 were £122 million – 20.5% down from January, and 5.8% below February 2023.
• In 2022 - a lifting of restrictions (in England) helped the total in January 2022 recover. February declined in line with previous years, March stabilised from that. Unfortunately, as expected, April experienced a further downturn – but there was stronger growth, than in recent years, during May. Sales in June held above 2021 and 2020 levels, whilst July recovered to split the levels recorded in 2020 and 2021. A further downturn in August was followed by a slight recovery in September, some growth in October (though just not strong enough to push it above previous October levels). A decline in November was followed by a further deterioration in December. There was an annual decline of 1.1% in 2022. Sales in 2022 were 3.0% below the level in 2020 and 11.7% below the pre-Covid comparison to 2019.
• In 2023 – sales in January and February tracked marginally below the monthly comparisons to 2022, whilst sales in March were marginally above the comparison to March 2022. Sales in April started to diverge further away from the 2022 comparison. Sales picked-up in May, contracted in June, rebounded in July, fell back again in August, improved slightly in September, more strongly in October, but fell back in November and December. Sales have been below 2022 and 2021 levels since March – the divergence has been more pronounced in the last three months. Sales in 2023 were 4.7% below 2022.
• In 2024 – there was an improvement in January, but still well short in comparison to previous Januarys. As expected, there was a big downturn in February, no significant improvement is expected until May.
• Average piece price was £2.46 in February 2024, 5.4% below the £2.60 in February 2023.
• Sales in the 12 months to February 2024 were over £1.6 billion – 5.4% below the 12 months to February 2023.
• Average piece price in the 12 months to February 2024 was £2.25 – 0.9% up from the £2.23 recorded in the 12 months to February 2023.

Click here to download the full BOSS/GfK Panelmarket report and a file depicting the latest sales charts for the consumer, retail and systemhouse channels.

Source: BOSS/GfK Panelmarket, www.bossfederation.com