As 2024 begins, it’s timely to look back at some of last year's headlines from Office Products News.

 

The year’s biggest story was the closure of Opal Australian Paper’s white paper business in Australia and the eventual sale of the company’s flagship Reflex brand to Thailand’s Double A, which is planning a relaunch in early 2024.

 

Apart from a few mergers, closures and sell-outs, it was business-as-usual for the independent dealer channel with the combined OPIx event in Melbourne providing a long overdue combined trade show.

 

At the big end of town, Officeworks continued on its merry way, posting yet another increase in revenue to more than $3 billion and rolling out an impressive range of sustainable and community-based initiatives.

 

JANUARY

The writing was on the wall when Opal workers were stood down as paper production faltered due to industrial trouble in relation to Vic Forests' timber supply at the company's Maryvale Mill.

 

The Japanese-owned company informed 35 of its workers in December 2022 that they were going to be stood down with full pay for an indefinite period of time.

 

FEBRUARY

Nippon Paper Industries announced the permanent closure of Opal Australian Paper’s white graphics paper plant in Australia.

 

MARCH

Federal and Victorian Nationals politicians and the manufacturing union blamed the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, for Opal Australia’s decision to stop producing white pulp and copy paper at the Maryvale mill.

 

Research commissioned by Complete Office Supplies found that 62 per cent of office workers expected their employer to support their WFH set-up, even if WFH wasn’t mandatory.  

 

APRIL

Office Brands’ announcement of a new corporate identity for its Office National members – albeit via a overseas media interview with CEO Adam Joy – was a surprise for many of its members

 

According to  a report in OPI, Office Brands’ 160 members (including 13 OPD and a number of unbranded O-Net members) were to transition to a new, single brand from 1 July. It didn’t happen.

 

MAY 

Officeworks unveiled the first purpose-built 40,000 sqm Import Distribution Centre (IDC) in its network in Altona North, Victoria, consolidating three centres in a major upgrade to its operations across the eastern seaboard.

 

With Opal out of the white paper market, the Anti-Dumping Commission initiated a series of revocation reviews in respect of the recent removal of dumping notices for A4 copy paper exported to Australia from multiple countries.

 

JUNE

Officeworks’ 2023 strategy presentation revealed that the company accounted for 12 per cent of the $29 billion ‘current addressable market’. This tallied with the company’s annual sales of more than $3 billion, with the ‘technology’ sector worth more than stationery, furniture, print, art and education combined.

 

JULY

OfficeMax New Zealand launched a ‘Responsible Supplier Code and Sustainable Packaging Guidelines’ for around 500 domestic and international suppliers.

 

Bulk warehouse retailer Costco announced plans to have 35 stores in Australia over the next five years.

 

AUGUST

Dell Australia was ordered by the Federal Court to pay $10 million for making false and misleading representations on its website about discount prices for add-on computer monitors.

 

SEPTEMBER

Dealer group Office Choice said it was “proud to have facilitated the “ground-breaking” 2023 OPIx combined event in Melbourne. 

 

It was described as an “historic moment” with the whole industry under one roof - Office Choice, GNS Wholesale, Office Brands, independent resellers, newsagents and all the key suppliers.

 

OCTOBER

Global stationery retailer Smiggle reported a record year for sales and a strong start to 2024, which will see the Australian-owned business expand into the Middle East and other markets.  Full sales were $320 million, up 22.4 per cent on FY22. 

 

NOVEMBER 

The 2023 office products industry charity Christmas lunch raised $35,000 in aid of children’s charities, including this year’s major beneficiary Dandelion Support Network.

 

Around 140 people attended the event, organised by the Australian Office Products Charitable Fund and held at Club York in Sydney.

 

DECEMBER