BOSS SoS Survey Results – Q4 2022 and Q1 2023

New industry trend research from BOSS is now available to BOSS members. The BOSS SoS (State of Office Supplies) survey, designed with input from BOSS members, covers a range of crucial topics in an online questionnaire that was live from 7 March to 3 April 2023.

The BOSS SoS research measures the current level of confidence in the business supplies industry, monitors and highlights trends and changes in the industry - including across category, channel, and client business type. The research also includes insights on business concerns, energy costs, Sustainability and international trade.

56 member companies, covering 4,074 employees and with a combined turnover of £1.2 billion, participated in the research. Survey respondents were comprised mostly of manufacturers and dealers/resellers.

Key findings from the report are:

Industry Confidence:

• Industry confidence improved in Q4 2022, and more strongly in Q1 2023.
• Most respondents remain confident in the performance of their own companies (54% describe their company as expanding; 45% as stabilising).

Business concerns

• Energy costs remain the top business concern across the industry, though for dealers/resellers the top concern is wage pressures.

Energy costs

• 56% of respondents have incurred energy cost increases greater than 100%.
• 49% expect to be under moderate financial pressure if energy prices remain high for the next two years. 39% now expect that pressure to be mild.
• 3% have cut and redistributed investment, 23% have redistributed, but not cut, investment, and 26% intend to re-evaluate their investment decisions.

BOSS members can access the full results here.