Born from a spare room in 1992, Connect Office Supplies has grown steadily from its humble roots. Founded by Pete Collins, the business was built the old-fashioned way: “He used to go out doing deliveries in the morning, come back and put orders on, then go out again doing sales,” recalls youngest daughter Sophie Walkman. “And then do it all again the next day.”
Under the stewardship of Walkman and elder sister Kim Moss since 1 June 2025, the second generation of the family is steering the Mansfield-based dealer into new territory. Moss has been with Connect for 25 years, while Walkman – who initially tried her hand at accountancy elsewhere – joined 15 years ago. “Once you’re in workplace supplies, you can’t get out of it, can you?” she laughs.
Their skill sets complement one another – Moss handles sales, purchasing and anything customer-facing, while Walkman takes care of marketing and accounts. “It works well,” Moss says, “though of course, we still have the odd sisterly argument!”
Opening new avenues
The sisters are ambitious, with their sights set on breaking the £1 million turnover mark in the next year through steady, strategic diversification. “It’s baby steps,” admits Walkman, “but we’re looking to grow.” Category expansion is already opening doors, with the dealer offering customers additional product areas including cleaning supplies, furniture, PPE and workwear.
Making that shift, however, comes with its own set of trials – not least educating customers about what’s now available. Walkman acknowledges it’s still early days, noting that customers they’ve already built strong relationships with tend to be receptive and happy to let the team quote and explore product options with them.
Moss agrees, though she’s candid about the need to ramp things up. Workwear, in particular, is a clear growth area – and one the pair are keen to get right. “I want it to feel professional,” explains Moss. That includes brushing up on product knowledge. The team works closely with trusted wholesalers such as Beeswift and Elite Workwear, and Moss is full of praise for the guidance and training on offer. “If I’m going to pitch workwear,” she says, “I want to do it properly.”
She’s also genuinely impressed by the products themselves – particularly Beeswift’s hi-vis recycled and recyclable Envirowear range, which, as she puts it, “blew my mind”. But communicating that wow factor is easier said than done, acknowledges Moss: “The real breakthrough comes when people can see, feel and try the items in person. That’s when it clicks.”
The reality, however, is that while environmental credentials are increasingly part of the conversation, they don’t always translate into sales. “At the Nemo Office Club Kickstart conference in January, it was all about green products,” recalls Moss. “But our customers aren’t really asking for them. Most are medium-sized engineering or manufacturing businesses – they’d like to do better, but when it comes down to cost versus sustainability, cost still wins.”
Sharper focus
While acknowledging that sustainability is on the horizon, Connect’s current focus is on broadening customer awareness of its full offering. Determined to make stationery “a bit less snoresville”, as Moss puts it, the pair have taken a fresh approach – incorporating branding, emojis and cleaner layouts to make things more engaging. “Let’s be honest,” she adds, “when you tell people that you sell pens and paper, they don’t exactly get excited.”
Support from VOW Wholesale and Exertis Supplies has helped drive Connect’s move into new categories, with changes to VOW’s catalogue aligning neatly with this push. The catering and hygiene section, for example, has been moved to the front – a clear signal, comments Moss, of where dealers should concentrate. “It’s always been at the back – we still can’t find anything! – but it shows VOW is trying to capture more of that market.”
Moss backs the shift, noting that while margins may not be huge, it’s about adding value to each order with extras such as tea, coffee and cleaning products – small add-ons that help increase the basket total.
The real hurdle, she shares, is getting the message across: “It’s amazing how many customers still say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you sold that’.” She’s even spotted new chairs in offices that weren’t bought through Connect. “It’s frustrating, but it shows we need to be louder about what we do.” Part of the issue is about reaching the right people. “You might be speaking to the office manager,” Moss explains, “but it’s the facilities person who buys all the warehouse gear.” There’s still work to be done, she admits, to ensure that the information gets through to those who need to hear it.
Personal service
While Connect has fully embraced the practicalities of remote fulfilment, it’s the company’s personal touch that continues to set it apart. Local deliveries are handled in a Connect-branded van – and, crucially, by Andy, the firm’s trusted driver.
“We prefer to use our own van wherever possible,” says Moss. “Andy is known for going the extra mile – putting heavier items away for school staff, always showing up with a smile and offering the kind of care you don’t get from a courier.”
For customers further afield, Connect uses wholesaler dropship services or courier partners – a practical necessity, though not without its drawbacks. In such a fiercely competitive market, where next-day delivery is expected and Amazon is ever-present, it’s the human touch that Moss believes keeps clients loyal. It’s about the service over the phone – the knowledge the team can share – and the way every order is followed through from start to finish. If a customer requests something unusual, it’s not just processed blindly – the team will ask the right questions, dig a little deeper and make sure the customer gets exactly what they need.
Behind the scenes, Connect runs a lean warehouse operation. With a compact footprint and minimal stockholding, the focus is on essentials and fast-moving lines. “We just don’t hold as much stock as we used to,” Moss explains. “Gone are the days of bulk-buying 500 punch pockets to secure a good price. We don’t even stock printer cartridges anymore – there’s too much variety and not enough demand to justify it.”
Online… or not
For all the digital tools now in place and a slick website, most of Connect’s customers still prefer to order the old-fashioned way and only around 15% of orders are processed through the website. The team has also found that balancing the benefits and drawbacks of online trading has become something of a juggling act, but it can open the door to completely new business.
Moss recalls a recent example: a school in Wales had been searching for a particular chair, found it on the site, placed an order and is now in talks about further purchases. “If we’d hidden our pricing on the website, that wouldn’t have happened,” she says.
The broader challenge is one the whole sector grapples with – how to support regulars with tailored pricing while attracting fresh online business. Walkman reveals that they’ve considered customer-specific portals but the backend investment required would be significant. “It’s so tricky,” she laments. Despite the complexity, the team remains keen to push the website further – whether through online-only promotions or added incentives. “If it encourages people to browse and see what else we sell, it’s worth doing,” adds Moss.
Even so, nothing beats traditional relationship-building. Moss is eager to get out and visit every customer – right down to the small local car garage ordering just a box of pens – to make sure they know who’s behind the business. In her view, that personalised approach still makes all the difference: “There’s just so much we want to do. We’ve got all these ideas, but we don’t want to run before we can walk.”
A crowded landscape
That ambition plays out in a tough market. Competition is fierce – not just from the giants such as Lyreco, Staples and Viking, but also from fellow independents. “There’s one literally round the corner from us,” comments Moss. “And there’s another dealer in the next town along.”
And then there’s Amazon. “You can’t compete with someone ordering at 7 pm and getting it at 9 am,” Moss notes. But customer expectations are beginning to shift. Before COVID, wholesalers with key access would deliver in the early hours – now, more often than not, it’s couriers arriving mid-afternoon. In response, the Connect team has begun managing expectations more proactively, informing customers that delivery may take one or two days depending on their order.
Despite the pressures, there are no immediate plans for acquisitions or expansion – though that’s not to say ambition is in short supply. Walkman is clear: the focus is on strengthening current operations and exploring their full potential. “If we can put some of our plans into action, I’d love to see where we are in six months,” she says.
For all the challenges, Connect has something many larger businesses lack: heart. “We’ve got a really great team,” says Moss. Small but mighty, the line-up also includes Charlotte and Rory – both key to keeping operations running smoothly. “Valuing your staff is so important,” she adds – and at Connect, it clearly shows. With family values, complementary skills and a clear vision, the sisters may well have found the winning formula. Connect by name – and in every other way too.
