The Best Places for Purchasing Office Supplies

Best places to purchase office supplies

Below, we highlight some of the top options for office supply purchasing programs for businesses. Remember that you can open purchasing accounts with more than one supplier to maximize your savings and stay well stocked. 

Amazon 

For many people, shopping on Amazon is a no-brainer. But if you want additional tools geared directly toward businesses, consider Amazon Business, which aims to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, from a sole proprietor to a large corporation.

The base Amazon Business membership, Duo, is free and offers free delivery, consolidated shipping, free survey and analytics tools, and either 5 percent back or 90 days to pay with an Amazon Business Prime American Express Card.

Paid memberships start at $179 a year for three users. Subscribers receive a free spending visibility tool and can set up safeguards that restrict employees to approved products. The three other subscription tiers are $499 for up to 10 users, $1,299 for up to 100 users and $10,099 for 100 or more users. The key benefit of these subscriptions is extended invoice payment terms of 45 or 60 days.

No matter which subscription you choose, you get access to a members-only discount scheme from Amazon and its third-party partners.

Here are some other benefits of Amazon Business:

• Tiered discounts on over 40 million products
• Requests for quote service on orders of $10,000 or more or over 999 units
• Wholesale discounts

To qualify, you’ll need to prove that you’re a real business by submitting verification of IRS filings, a business license or documentation from your state/commonwealth that contains an official insignia. Additionally, the person who submits the application will need another document to prove their employment. If you’re a sole proprietor, make sure you indicate that you own the business.

Walmart 

Walmart offers a comprehensive purchasing program called Walmart Business+. There is a free tier and a paid tier. Every subscriber gets a business catalog, tax-exempt registration, automated delivery of everyday items and up to five users per organization.

The paid tier costs $98 annually and offers the following benefits:

• Free shipping on all purchases (no minimum order)
• Free delivery to a nearby store ($35 minimum order)
• 2 percent in business rewards on orders of $250 or more
• A spending analytics tool
• Access to limited-time offers
• A mobile scanning app for in-store shopping

Rafi Friedman, CEO of Coastal Luxury Outdoors and managing partner of Carl Capital, sources his office supplies from Walmart Business. “We’ve been going to Walmart for many years,” he said. “The fact that they consistently compete to offer the lowest prices and are happy to work with businesses of any size makes them an ideal choice for our small, local business.”

Apple 

Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP) can be used for both hardware and software purchases. With this service, you can buy apps and books in bulk and manage them on Apple devices. Plus, you can get business-to-business apps built specifically for your business. With the VPP, you can manage how apps and books are distributed and track who has what content. 

Samsung 

A Samsung Business account gives small business owners access to exclusive advantages, such as volume pricing, a trade-in program, and free shipping and returns. Members receive a 10 percent discount on all online purchases and 20 percent off some items. Samsung offers a financing program to help ease the pain of major purchases, as well as a trade-in program for new Galaxy devices.  

Staples 

Staples Easy Rewards is a free membership service that offers points when you shop. Those points, which do not expire, are doubled for items in your most frequently shopped categories.

Staples’ Business Advantage program is also free and offers three options based on the business’s number of employees. Business Advantage includes the following benefits:

• Unlimited users
• 20 percent savings compared with a major competitor’s price
• Free next-day delivery
• Access to experts
• An app to monitor spending and approval flows
• Integration with over 150 e-procurement systems
• Industry-specific contracts

Wayfair

Wayfair offers more than just home goods; it also sells many business products, including office furniture. 

The Wayfair Professional program offers free shipping on orders over $35, bulk pricing and members-only savings of 10 to 15 percent. You get a designated account manager who will help you find the right products and assist with your account. Wayfair also offers consolidated delivery, help with design, a warranty that covers accidents and product malfunctions, and end-to-end project management.

Best Buy

Best Buy Business is a free program that offers up to 10 percent off select items, as well as volume purchasing and free shipping on thousands of items. Members get access to a dedicated account manager, support on complex projects and installations, and help from the Geek Squad to preconfigure and customize devices and kits.

Office Depot

The Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards Program is free to join and offers these benefits:

• 2 percent cash back
• Members-only savings
• Rewards for reviewing products (up to three per month)
• Rewards for recycling toner and ink cartridges (up to 10 per month)
• Exclusive in-store offers

If you spend more than $500 in a 365-day period, you unlock these additional incentives:

• 5 percent rewards on ink, paper and printing-related products
• Free delivery
• VIP perks, like offers on your birthday

Costco

Costco’s business membership program costs $65 yearly and includes up to two cardholders. The company’s executive membership program costs $130 a year and offers subscribers a 2 percent reward on eligible purchases up to $1,250, as well as extra benefits and discounts on Costco services. 

Tips for saving money on office supplies

Here are some easy ways for your company to save money on office supplies:

• Sign up for a business purchase program. These programs, like the ones listed in this article, offer various incentives, including discounts, rewards points, free shipping and account management.
• Use a corporate card or business account. This makes it easy to keep track of your purchases so you can focus on finding the best deal, without being tied to one retailer. Many corporate credit cards offer the opportunity to earn points or cash back that can be used to further help the business. If you have to spend money, you might as well make it work for you.
• Shop locally. Many times, a local store is happy to accommodate the needs of a local business and offer discounts for bulk purchases or a steady stream of orders.
• Buy in bulk. The cost per unit is much lower when items are purchased in bulk. Supplies such as pens, printer paper and ink cartridges should be bought in high quantities to cut costs. However, make sure you buy only the items you will use. Some of the benefits of buying in bulk include lower costs and a long-term, steady supply of items.

Dan Gallagher, a registered dietitian at Aegle Nutrition, said that because the company’s factory has space, it has the flexibility to order essential supplies such as printer paper in bulk, which lasts years. “This lets us take advantage of buying in bulk despite being a smaller business, and also helps us to get ahead of future inflation,” Gallagher said.

• Compare prices. Before you choose a retailer, compare prices at different stores. A small price difference could result in significant cost savings when you buy items in bulk. “Especially over the past few years of high inflation, it really pays to take the time to shop around for office supplies,” Jordan Anthony, a certified nutritionist at Ahara, told business.com. “The supplier with the cheapest envelopes this month may not have the best deal next month. The same tactic seems to be effective now that inflation has slowed down and suppliers are starting to cut costs to bring in more business.”
• Shop online. There are many benefits of shopping for office supplies online. There’s a wide range of products to choose from, and online retailers can often offer cheaper prices due to lower overhead costs.
• Join a group purchasing organization (GPO). Organizations such as the Healthcare Supply Chain Organization use the collective buying power of their members to secure better prices from suppliers. Search online to see if there is a GPO for your sector or a generic one you can join.
• Implement a centralized purchasing system. Tail-end spend is the portion of your company’s spending that’s hard to account for and often unmanaged. For example, it might include ad hoc or infrequent purchases made by someone with a company credit card. You could implement a spending management platform to help control tail-end spend.
• Consider leasing equipment. For items such as printers or copiers, leasing can sometimes be more cost-effective when you factor in maintenance and tax advantages. However, check with your accountant before you proceed with this option.
• Track your monthly expenses. Use the data you’ve collected to cut costs. Management should use highly rated accounting software to keep track of how much the business spends on office supplies. Even simple staffing decisions can help reduce your costs.
  
  Soumya Mahapatra, CEO of Essenvia, decided to stick with a remote workforce after COVID-19, and that has dramatically reduced expenses. He told business.com that his current approach is to “reimburse our remote employees for purchasing essential office supplies themselves. For most of them, this is a large upfront investment in a laptop and very little else. We essentially don’t use paper in any way, and other supplies, like napkins and condiments in the break room and toilet paper in the bathrooms, are also out of the picture.”
  
  
• Consider remanufactured or generic products. Many companies simply badge products sourced from their suppliers and charge a premium. Instead of buying a brand name, look for a generic alternative.
• Participate in recycling programs. Some suppliers offer discounts or credits for returning empty ink and toner cartridges. You could amass a considerable quantity if your business uses a lot of these items.

Kimberlee Leonard contributed to this article.