Office supply cataloger Staples is giving its contract customers an option: paper or online. In an effort to eventually cut down on the number of catalogs it mails, the Framingham, MA-based merchant has launched an online version of its 2008 full-line catalog at Staplesadvantagecatalogs.com.
The online catalog offers Staples Contract customers (typically mid-sized companies) the same content as the print version in a flip-book-style format that can be passed along to employees via the Internet. Users can browse nearly 8,000 products, including office supplies, furniture, technology accessories, cleaning and break room supplies. The online version includes keyword and item number search functionality, and the ability to bookmark pages and create, print, and e-mail office supply wish lists to the person responsible for ordering office products through StaplesLink.com.
Staples Contract customers can opt out of receiving the paper catalogs by asking their account managers, says Marci Grebstein, vice president of marketing for Staples Contract. The company will then use e-mail marketing to alert customers to new offerings. Customers who do not opt-out will still receive the paper catalogs with each delivery.
“Over time, we expect that customers will increasingly prefer the online catalog to the paper version because of the added convenience and environmental benefits,” Grebstein says. Staples estimates an immediate 10% reduction in its annual catalog print run, equating to a decrease of about 200,000 print books, she notes.