The prices can be cheaper but there's no guarantee you'll get the product you ordered at exactly the time you needed them so at times you may need to weigh your options wisely. Should businesses buy their stuff from a local store and get it delivered to their premises the same day or buy online and hope for the best? Where should you draw the line?
Personally, I think a well-run business is going to know about how much of an office supply they use and when they're going to run out. With that in mind, then it should be perfectly acceptable to buy it online, knowing that they can fairly accurately predict when they're going to run out of supplies. So for example, they should be able to regularly order printer paper at a reduced online rate instead of needing to buy it from the local store. They know when they're going to run out and can place the order early.
Unless they were offering some incredible deals to offset the cost of shipping and/or giving me free shipping on the items, I wouldn't bother ordering them online. Some office supplies aren't so bad, like pens and pencils, but other stuff like reams of paper can cost a fortune to have shipped to you. You are much better off buying that stuff at the store. Places like Officemax and Office Depot have more than what you will ever really need when it comes to most office supplies.
I don't see a problem ordering office supplies online.... sure, if you need a particular item urgently you can just go to a store, but everywhere I worked they ordered online and the items arrived perfectly. They tell you how long your order will take to arrive, so it's not like you won't even know where to expect it. I like Staples for office supplies, and they deliver fairly quick and have pretty much all you need online.
Office supplies are ok to buy online, especially if you are just buying generic items such as bond paper, staplers, staple wires, etc. Also, if you have bought particular brands in the past and you prefer those, you can always specify that you want that in your online order. I think that will save you a lot of time. If you are buying really specific office supplies, it may be worth while to actually purchase it within the store as you will be able to examine the product carefully.
If you want to buy a stock of office supplies then yes it's better to buy online since it's cheap. But to avoid any delays, I suggest you monitor your supplies and estimate the time when it will run out so you can purchase online earlier than anticipated. You also have to consider the possibility that buying online might not provide you with the same quality as you would a physical store since you can't really inspect the products by hand.
The key here is avoid cramming. Buy everything you are sure you're gonna need sooner or later. Don't just buy stuff when you need them. This trait will save you a lot of time. Buying office supplies in the actual store will consume you time going there, finding those you need, paying and queuing on the line, not to mention that energy that you are going to need, physical energy and the exhaustion that might come after from any unexpected occurrences that might occur. But if you need the item right away, don't hesitate to rush on the store and buy the item you need yourself, if you are not sure how many hours it's going to take if you buy that item online. Well, of course, you might consider borrowing from your neighbor.
I think most companies can judge when they need to buy things, and do it before they have a chance to run out. A smart one would anyway. I think it depends on the company, because I know certain ones buy from local stores, but others buy in bulk online because it is cheaper. I have an at home office and can find my supplies cheaper online, I can get it in a week, with free shipping. However, I do not need as much as a regular business. Many times though, companies have deals for office supplies when buy in bulk.
Well, if doing so will save you more money than buying office supplies in person, then there's no harm in ordering office supplies online. People have different ways of doing things, anyway. Online purchase can be a cheaper alternative if you order items in bulk. However, if you have already chosen a local supplier that sells items at about the same price, then it's more advantageous to just stick to this offline purchasing scheme. At least you'll get to check the products for defects prior to handing out your payment.
I've never actually bought any office supplies online because it hasn't occurred to me to do so. I've always had a very good bricks and mortar store nearby to buy from. But if you know of a good, reliable and reputable online supplier, I see nothing wrong with buying online at all. I mean, if we can buy electronics online, why not office supplies?
Office supplies not arriving on time shouldn't be an issue for companies because they should be planning weeks in advance when something is needed. Otherwise, buying office supplies online makes sense for smaller businesses because they're going to save money with ease.
The only time that I buy these things are when I want a certain type of stationary. I know a few online shops that sell the cutest galaxy-style pens and journals - so I exclusively shop there. But when it comes to graphite pencils and such, I simply visit Target or Office Depot.
We always buy our office supplies at the same local supplier. We've been buying from them since they started their business. They already know us well and they deliver on time just as they promised. We often get discounts from them too and they are familiar with our preferred brands of office supplies. We haven't really tried buying online as we are contented with the services of our local supplier.
Businesses probably buy wholesale/directly from warehouses anyway, so buying online would cost them more. At least when it comes to Europe.
I'm surprised it would be a problem. If you're not sure about it, maybe just do a very small order first of all in order to sample what you will be potentially buying in bulk. But I really don't see why it should be an issue at all, particularly if you save some money.
For my home-office supplies, I keep track of how much I have and order from amazon. We have prime so free two day shipping. I can find anything I need and it's usually cheaper than stores in person. The one office I used to work at ordered office supplies at a store that allowed them to pick up in store. You essentially filled your 'cart' online and an employee took that list and filled it in person. Then you could just stop in at the store and pick it up. That was like the best of both worlds because there was no shipping charge and you could pick up stuff within a few hours without spending time walking around the store trying to find it.
I do not see any problem if you buy office supplies online just be careful not to buy on fake companies. As for my part I prefer to buy office supplies like paper, pens and pencil on a department stores.
I don't see why it would be bad thing really. It all depends on the site you order from. If they are a reliable business, then I do not think there will be any problem.
Personally, I do not see a issue buying office supplies online. Office supplies are generally ok to buy online, speciallyy if you are only purchasing common things such as paper, staplers, envelopes etc.
There may be some instances where you need to order certain office supplies online, because they may no longer be carried by your local office supply stores. Perhaps your office has some older printers in it, for example, and it's becoming increasingly harder to find the specific replacement ink for them at any local stores. Or maybe you need the really old fashioned printer paper, the kind for dot matrix printers. There are some instances where you can get stuff much cheaper online than buying it in store. For example, I was looking for a set of replacement wheels for my office task chair. Office Max carried a set of 5, but they wanted $35 for them. Instead, I was able to find them on Amazon for only $5.99 plus shipping.
