Business Spending on Supplies Up in December

From NPD:

Business-to-business spending in the office supply industry is on the rebound and was up in December for the first time throughout all of 2009, according to leading market research company The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service. 

Business-to-business spending grew for the first time in December, rising 2.5 percent, and for the first time all year business spending out-performed consumer spending in the retail office super store channel.  The contract stationers channel had been showing year-over-year improvement each month since August, but December was the first month where it pulled into positive territory.  For the year, the B2B contract stationer channel declined 11 percent.  Business spending across a number of industries, including technology, began to rebound this past fall.  

The retail office super store channel didn’t fare as well, but still made strides in the fourth quarter.  The channel started to stabilize in September, averaging a 5 percent decline over the final four months of the year, and December sales ended down around 6 percent. While still a decline, it is an improvement over the 10 percent monthly decline the channel experienced during the first half of 2009.  The retail office super store channel was down 8 percent in 2009.