contact us     help    login  

InfoTrends’ Research Highlights Difference in Supplies Buying Habits of Consumer vs. Business Users

(Weymouth, MA)April 10, 2008…InfoTrends’ new report,  Supplies Buying Habits in the Retail Channel: 2007 Survey Results, provides information that will enable readers to understand changing buying habits and future purchase plans within the retail channel for office equipment products. Notably, although the ability to purchase supplies through automatic reordering software has been available for a few years now, most respondents to this survey have not taken advantage of the capability. Only 8% of consumers indicated use of this software. Significantly more businesses had used the software, but this number stood at only 19%. This is one example of the differences in behavior of consumer vs. business users, which are highlighted throughout the report.

Apparently one of the major reasons respondents do not use this software is because of trust, especially for consumers. This could in part be due to the increase in identity fraud and general awareness by respondents of recent breaches of sensitive information. Businesses were more willing to participate if consent was given prior to ordering. In the corporate world, it is more acceptable to place orders electronically. Long before these programs came along, businesses were using Electronic Data Interchange to order products needed for their business. Nevertheless, regardless of customer type, less than 10% of both customer types would let the software automatically order without consent.

The Web-based survey, which was first conducted by InfoTrends’ Digital Peripherals Solutions Consulting Service in 2007, was deployed across the United States. There were 301 total responses from consumer and business respondents. Respondents represented a variety of vertical markets, income levels, and ages.
The supplies specific slides are provided in this report for the benefit of those interested in this specific part of the market. The data was tabulated in a variety of different ways, but for the purposes of this document the comparison between consumers and businesses was used most frequently. These two customer sects clearly use and buy supplies in different ways. The differentiation in purposes of supplies use provides guidance in the best way to package and market supplies to these distinct market groups.

For more information or to make a purchase, visit InfoTrends’ online store or contact Scott Phinney at ext. 123 or via e-mail at .

InfoTrends is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industries. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

Copyright © 2007 InfoTrends. All rights reserved. Reproduction or reuse of InfoTrends materials is strictly prohibited without prior written consent. If you are interested in referencing InfoTrends content, please submit your request to .