News Release
Field Support Center
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For further information contact:
Diane Hund
Vice President, Marketing
dhund@ussco.com
847-627-2046
United Stationers Releases New Research on Key Target Audience
Consumer research finds 72% of departmental office products buyers are women
DEERFIELD, Ill. – February 18, 2014 – As part of ongoing industry research efforts,
United Stationers has released “Reaching the Female Buyer,” a white paper that details
demographic data and purchase decision-making trends in the office products industry.
Accompanying the research results are recommendations for how independent resellers can
better understand, segment and capture key customer segments, including the female buyer.
“Nearly three-quarters (72%) of all those who aggregate office products orders on behalf
of their colleagues are women,” said Owen Carr, Consumer Research Marketing Manager at
United Stationers. “While gender is not an absolute predictor of behavior or attributes, the
consideration of certain known tendencies can be a reasonable starting point for resellers to adapt
selling strategies accordingly.”
The demographic research indicates that in a B2B setting, women are more receptive than
men to consultative selling. Female buyers often tend to follow a more open, discovery-oriented
process, while male buyers are more-likely to use a product-focused purchase process.
While men tend to be task-oriented, women tend to emphasize the overall buying
experience more than men do, United’s research adds. For example, women are more likely to
know the identity of their preferred office provider (55%), placing greater emphasis than men on
the overall reseller experience.
Additional key research findings from this study include:

A Multi-Media Approach: In the purchase process, women are more likely to use a
combination of catalog, Internet and retail stores for purchasing. Women are 16% more
likely than men to see print catalogs as a complement to the web.

Work Settings Play a Role: Women are twice as likely to work in an association or nonprofit, education and insurance type of a setting, while men are more likely to work in
traditional manufacturing, transportation, logistics and technology sectors.

Age Matters: The majority of female buyers (64%) are over the age of 36, versus the
majority of male buyers (76%) who are between the ages of 18-35.
“Each individual falls on a continuum of varying traits and behaviors. By better
understanding unique buying processes and preferences, independent dealers can adjust their
strategies accordingly to win in the marketplace,” says Carr.
In addition to research findings and statistics, the white paper outlines recommendations
based on United’s 7 Moves to Win business strategy.
“From surveying customers to get a better understanding of their needs, to making a
discovery questionnaire for your next sales call, United recommends several ways to help dealers
reach the female buyers they serve,” said Carr.
About United Stationers
United Stationers Inc. is a leading wholesale distributor of business products, with
2012 net sales of approximately $5.1 billion. The company stocks approximately 130,000 items,
including technology products, traditional office products, janitorial and breakroom supplies,
office furniture, and industrial products. A network of 64 distribution centers enables delivery of
these products to over 25,000 reseller customers. This network, combined with United’s depth
and breadth of inventory, enables the company to ship most products overnight to more than
90% of the U.S. and offer next-day delivery to major cities in Mexico and Canada. For more
information, visit www.unitedstationers.com.
United Stationers’ common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the
symbol USTR.
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