Stationery Stores Band With Other Retailers as Buying Club

Two groups of independent office products retailers, including four stationery retailers in Orange County, will join together as a single buying club, the groups said Monday.

The Office Products People based in Madera, Calif., will disband and join Hoover, Ala.-based Office Network, creating a purchasing group with $650 million in buying power.

The groups--which unite nearly 300 office supply dealers nationwide--band together to buy wholesale office product equipment in bulk so that they can attain volume discounts and compete with larger office products chains.

The groups include Costa Mesa Stationers in Costa Mesa, Office Emporium in Brea, Doran Stationers in Anaheim and South Coast Stationers in Costa Mesa. The Office Network’s marketing coordinator will be Pete Sloan, owner of South Coast Stationers.

“We’re at a price equity with the super-stores because of the buying group,” Sloan said.