Shane's Office Supply coming to a town near you?

Office World News, Sep/Oct 2003 by Kirk, Jeffrey

COMPETING WITH THE SUPERSTORES

Tom Apicella Sr. purchased Shane's Office Supply from the Shane brothers in 1989. At the time, Shane's Office Supply was primary a retail operation with few commercial business accounts. Tom Jr., 17 at the time, helped his father at the store and made deliveries using the family's station wagon. In 1994, as the wave of the office superstores began to threaten the independent's livelihood, Apicella closed the retail business and turned his attention to his rapidly- expanding commercial accounts in the Chicago area which Apicella felt couldn't get the one-on-one attention from the chains.

Today, Tom Sr. and Jr. continue to work together, expanding Shane's Office Supply. Shane's has a combination of seven trucks and vans moving around Chicago and generated $5.3 million in revenues in 2002. Expectations are that Shane's expects to bring in more than $6.3 million this year.

Offering a combination of office and school supplies; OEM and remanufactured toner cartridges; and office furniture, Shane's Office Supply has more than 1, 500 business-to-business (b-to-b) customers, 80 percent of which are small commercial accounts with five to fifty employees.

Working with United Stationers, Shane's has realized the benefits of working with a large wholesaler. Having a quality wholesaler allows us to be a stockless dealer and gives use more time to focus our efforts on increasing market share and servicing the customer, " said Apicella Jr.

"We have successfully wooed many clients to Shane's and away from the superstores with our dedication to the market and commitment to customer service, " said Tom Apicella Jr., Vice President of Shane's Office Supply and president of Shane's new franchising division. The superstores simply cannot provide the service that an independent dealer can."

Customer Service

"We treat customers the way we want to be treated, " said Apicella Jr. "We care about their needs and strive to be the best we can be at providing office supplies to our customers. We are not only providing office supplies, but a solution to office supply purchases."

These solutions include supplying customers with customized catalogs and flyers updating Shane's more than 50, 000 items. Businesses can phone, fax or place orders online for free next day delivery. A low price guarantee matches prices on most items and a no hassle return policy allows products to be returned within 30 days for a full refund. Customer service representatives take orders from many customers and will answer questions and take special interest in Tilling "hard to find" items.

Unique to Shane's Office Supply is their delivery service which guarantees free next day delivery, regardless of the cost of the product. "Other than extra toner cartridges and paper, there is no reason why a customer should have to stock office supplies, " said Apricella Jr. "If our customer calls because they forgot they needed a pen refill to take on a trip, we'll get it to them, no problem."

Employee training is also a large part of providing quality service to customers. Shane's 29 employees are kept happy and committed through a combination of efforts that include bonuses, profit sharing and training. "We are a family owned company and understand the iamily needs of our employees, said Apicella Jr. "We try to be flexible for our employees' personal needs, like personal time off. We also offer extensive training for our new employees as well as ongoing training for existing employees."

Sales Strategies

"The key to success in this type of business is the ability to build more business, " said Apicella Jr. "It is an ongoing process that requires a dedicated sales staff with the know how to show potential customers the benefits of an independent dealer."

About 80 percent of Shane's efforts are focused on small businesses with five to fifty employees. "We feel that this market remains underserved and have found these companies to be very receptive to our efforts, " said Apicella Jr. "These companies are often overlooked by large dealerships and have been forced to purchase from the superstores that cater more to consumers than to businesses. Shane's actively pursues these small businesses, winning them over with as large a selection as the superstores, but the one- on- one dedication and commitment to service that the superstores cannot offer."

In addition to a veteran sales manager who have been with the company for six years, Shane's has a sales staff of 11 people, six seasoned salespeople with three to four years experience and five salespeople with less than one year's training. "We look for people who have had sales experience and who have the skills that we feel necessary to be successful, " Apicella boasted. "We provide our staff with up-to- date technology to be successful at sales."

Primary to successful sales is Shane's training strategies which include attendance at seminars and classes. "We have an aggressive marketing plan in place that allows us to actively go after new business. We have developed a sales model based on our successes that outlines and guides salespeople to success, " said Apicella Jr. "I will also be heading up a new series of training classes that will serve as a guide to our salespeople and allow them to understand Shane's principals and practices."