OfficeMax Inc. (Naperville, Ill.) is testing a new concept called Ink Paper Scissors. According to Brand Week magazine, three 1500-to-2000-square-foot stores have opened in the Seattle area. Each contains about 2000 of the chain's most popular items, including printer cartridges, pens and shipping supplies.
OfficeMax says it is positioning these smaller offshoots as convenient access to supplies for local businesses. “It's about getting in and getting out fast when you need to pick up a ream of paper, get an ink cartridge, make a few copies or pick up some school supplies for the kids,” said chief merchandising officer Ryan Vero.
Because of the expenses associated with running a larger retail space, “everyone is looking at smaller footprints now,” Paul Leinwand, vp of business consultant Booz & Co (New York), told Brand Week. “It's a big theme right now because traffic is down so dramatically that they can't afford the inventory and labor for a full store.”