The Best Office Supply Places to Save Money
Many office supply companies offer purchasing programs designed to streamline procurement and help businesses cut costs. By joining one of these programs, you may gain access to bulk discounts, automatic inventory restocking, and exclusive promotions that make day-to-day purchasing more efficient.
We’ll outline some of the most popular purchasing programs for businesses and share expert tips to help you save money on office supplies.
Best places to purchase office supplies
Below, we highlight some of the top office supply purchasing programs for businesses. Keep in mind that you can open purchasing accounts with more than one supplier to maximize savings and keep your office 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. (Amazon Business accounts are free to create, but businesses can choose to add a paid Business Prime membership for additional tools and benefits.)
The base Amazon Business membership, Duo, is free for sole proprietors who already have a personal Amazon Prime membership and offers free delivery, consolidated shipping, free survey and analytics tools, and business-only pricing and quantity discounts.
Paid Business Prime memberships start at $179 a year for accounts with up to five users. Subscribers receive a spending visibility tool and can set up safeguards that restrict employees to approved products. The three other subscription tiers are $499 for up to 20 users, $1,299 for up to 200 users and $10,099 for unlimited users. A key benefit of higher tiers is extended invoice payment terms of 45 or 60 days, subject to approval.
No matter which subscription you choose, you get access to business-only pricing, quantity discounts and other exclusive offers from Amazon and participating third-party sellers.
Additional Amazon Business benefits include:
- Tiered discounts on millions of products
- Request-for-quote services on orders of $10,000 or more or 999 units or more
- Wholesale pricing options
To qualify, you’ll need to verify that you’re a legitimate business by submitting IRS documentation, a business license or official paperwork from your state or commonwealth. Additionally, the person who submits the application may need to provide documentation proving their employment. If you’re a sole proprietor, make sure you indicate that you own the business.
Walmart
Walmart offers a business purchasing program called Walmart Business+. There is a free Walmart Business account and several paid Walmart Business+ membership tiers. All Walmart Business account holders get access to a business catalog, tax-exempt purchasing, automated delivery for everyday items, and up to five users per organization.
The entry-level paid Business+ tier (called Core) starts at $98 annually and offers the following benefits:
- Free shipping on eligible purchases (no minimum order)
- Automatic deliveries
- Free delivery from store (typically with a $35 minimum order)
- Business rewards on qualifying purchases
- A spending analytics tool
- Access to limited-time offers
- A mobile scanning app for in-store shopping
Walmart also offers Premium ($498 per year, 50 users) and Enterprise (customized) tiers for larger teams that need additional users, account controls or onboarding support.
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 Business Manager includes Apple’s former Volume Purchase Program (VPP) functionality through its Apps and Books feature, which businesses can use for both hardware and software management. With this service, you can buy apps and books in bulk and deploy them across Apple devices.
Apple Business Manager also supports business-to-business apps built specifically for your organization. Using Apps and Books, administrators can control how apps and content are distributed and track which users or devices have access to them.
While Apple Business Manager is primarily designed for device and app management, it can be especially useful for businesses standardizing Apple hardware and software across teams.
Samsung
A Samsung Business account gives small business owners access to business-focused purchasing benefits, including volume pricing, trade-in offers, and free shipping and returns on eligible orders. Members can also receive exclusive online discounts and access to promotional offers throughout the year.
Samsung also offers business financing options to help spread out the cost of larger purchases, along with a trade-in program that allows businesses to receive credit toward new Galaxy devices when upgrading eligible hardware.
Staples
Staples Easy Rewards is a free loyalty program that allows members to earn rewards on qualifying purchases. Rewards generally do not expire as long as the account remains active, and members can earn bonus rewards in frequently purchased categories and during promotional periods.
Staples also offers a Staples Business Membership, which is free to join and designed to scale with the needs of small and midsize companies as well as larger organizations. This program gives businesses access to tools that simplify purchasing, including:
- Everyday low business pricing and custom pricing programs
- Fast, free delivery on qualifying orders, including next-day delivery in many areas
- Multiple user accounts with customizable permissions
- Spending visibility tools and approval workflows
- Integration with popular e-procurement systems
- Flexible payment terms and dedicated account support
Wayfair
Wayfair Professional goes beyond residential home goods to serve businesses as well, offering a wide selection of office furniture and commercial products.
The Wayfair Professional program is free to join and provides access to exclusive pro pricing, with advertised savings of up to 15 percent on eligible items. Members also benefit from fast, free shipping on qualifying orders, consolidated delivery options and access to dedicated support for sourcing products and managing larger purchases.
Wayfair Professional also supports businesses with more complex projects. In addition to design help and project support, it offers protection plans that cover accidental damage and product issues. For qualifying orders, Wayfair can coordinate the entire project, from selecting products to delivery and installation, which can save time for teams managing larger or multi-location spaces.
Best Buy
Best Buy Business is a free program designed to help companies buy technology and related products for their teams. Members get special pricing on select items, access to volume purchasing deals, and free shipping on thousands of eligible products.
Best Buy Business customers can also work with a dedicated account manager for product recommendations and support with larger or more complex purchases. Members have access to installation services and can get help from the Geek Squad to preconfigure and customize devices and kits before delivery.
Office Depot
Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards is a free loyalty program that lets members earn rewards as they shop for office supplies, technology, furniture and more.
Core benefits include:
- 2 percent back in rewards on qualifying purchases
- Members-only savings and pricing offers
- Rewards for recycling ink and toner cartridges (up to 10 per month with a qualifying purchase)
- Rewards for product reviews (up to three per month)
Members who spend $500 or more within a 365-day period unlock VIP status, which adds:
- 5 percent back in rewards on certain items like ink, toner and paper
- Free delivery with no minimum purchase on many items
- Exclusive VIP perks and offers
Costco
Costco offers a Business Membership for $65 per year, which includes one primary cardholder and one household card, along with the ability to add additional cardholders for an extra fee. Business members can shop in warehouses and online and access products and services geared toward small businesses.
Costco’s Executive Membership costs $130 per year and includes all Business Membership benefits, plus a 2 percent annual reward on eligible purchases, capped at $1,250 per year. Executive members may also receive additional discounts and perks on select Costco services.
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