Selling the luxury office 

As the labour market continues to be unpredictable, offices need to appeal to potential and existing employees more than ever before – what should dealers be selling to make them more attractive workplaces?

Read the full article below or read on page 18 of our February magazine 

An attractive office can boost productivity and help with staff retention – but according to a Leesman survey, only 55% of respondent’s feel that the design of their workplace enables them to work productively. For John Livingston, director of sales and marketing at Don Ruffles, an office is like a luxury meal. “Adding salt, herbs and garlic costs peanuts but massively impacts taste, and the same is true when kitting out an office with accessories.” 

According to Resume Builder, 88% of companies are offering incentives to get employees to return following the pandemic, including catered meals, commuter benefits and higher pay; but these incentives can also extend to the office itself – and offering a high quality workplace can show employees they are valued. “Cheap office accessories send out a daily subliminal message; you’re not worth it,” says John. 

The demand for high quality workspaces is growing as hybrid working brings increasing numbers of UK employees back into the office. To meet this demand, dealers should consider what products best facilitate an attractive office and how they can educate their customers on the benefits this can bring.

Stock-up on stationery 

Having a well-stocked and top-quality stationery cupboard is key to an organised and productive office. Having products that work readily available makes it easier for employees to do their jobs. Faulty equipment – like a stapler that doesn’t work, or pens that run out halfway through a meeting – is counterproductive and can cause interruptions to an employee’s workflow. “According to the Stoddart review, utilising improvements within office environments can boost productivity by up to 3.5%, which emphases the importance of investing in the right equipment in your work surroundings,” says Exaclair’s marketing manager, Lawrence Savage. 

The demand for luxury stationery increased by a global compound annual growth rateof 9.3% between 2022-2023 according to Lawrence. “This demand has been primarily driven by the emerging trends for personalised and sustainable stationery that we’re experiencing across the industry,” he says. Great stationery can help to maintain a business’s image and establish its reputation through personalised branding, while custom-printed notebooks, pens other related products can boost the perception of company professionalism without exhausting their resources.

Fancy furniture 

Another way to invest in staff is with good quality furniture. Comfortable seating prevents employees from getting distracted throughout their working day, helping them retain focus and achieve better results. Ergonomic office chairs cater to different body shapes with design that allows for adjustment to make sure employees are sitting in the correct position to avoid back, shoulder and neck problems, whilst height-adjustable desks can help employees to find the best level of comfort while working. For John, office furniture is better now than ever before. “Manufacturers have invested millions in exciting designs and the choice and quality is fantastic.”

Make it fun

Whilst office spaces must be functional, they can also be fun. The recent trend of ‘hotelification’ is defined in CBRE’s 2030 Global Outlook Report as ‘a reinvention of the workspace based on inspiration from the hospitality industry’. By using luxury accessories, businesses are creating high quality working environments with creative and inspirational design – but bringing ‘hotelification’ into the office doesn’t have to be expensive.

“Although the initial outlay for luxury items can seem a tad exuberant sometimes, in the long run, their quality and longevity can pay dividends in relation to both maximising budgets and employee wellbeing,” says Lawrence.

Designing products with a pop of colour, or providing fresh (or fake!) plants are both ways to help make office accessories fun for employees. “Make workers’ experiences enjoyable,” John advises. “Let them feel valued with everything they touch, see and use.”

Give them a treat 

Employees are, increasingly, going into the office for incentives such as free breakfasts, lunches, teas, coffees and treats and, according to Indeed, almost 38% of employers now offer free refreshments. Having food and drink in-house can lessen the time spent by employees venturing outside to get coffee or lunch, and boost employee wellbeing. Surveys have found that 67% of employees who have free food at work class themselves as ‘extremely or very happy’.

Whilst you don’t need to worry about providing a luxury lunch every day, employers can start by offering a regular supply of fresh fruit, tea and coffee – and providing a coffee machine with high quality drinks, whilst simple to do, can really help to make employees feel appreciated. 

Supplying luxury goods to customers to meet the needs of their increasingly demanding existing and potential employees in the new wave of hybrid working is imperative for dealers, and it is up to dealers to ensure their customers are aware of the benefits these workplace adjustments will give their companies – such as:

• Productivity: according to Gensler’s Workplace Performance Index, a good office design can boost employee productivity by 20%.
• Recruitment and retention: businesses with appealing office designs, and sufficient flexibility in scheduling, are better at retaining key staff and recruiting new talent. 
• Wellbeing: benefits such as stationery, furniture and in-office treats boost employee wellbeing.

To get customers on board, John suggests mixing up your sales strategies. “Try offering a special, one-off, price to kit out a new employee with quality accessories,” – or, like Lawrence, focus on communication. “In addition to our B2B product sales training and promotional events, we are enhancing our product and marketing collateral to support efficient communications across a variety of in-store and online channels. 

“This allows us to highlight product features and benefits in a more effective manner that can then be adapted and conveyed by specific resellers to match their desired end user.”