Is it hard to find environmentally preferable or green office products?
Siddiqui: Not at all. We have green office products in nearly every category – from the obvious, like paper and envelopes, to the less obvious, like desk accessories and pens. The Green Book also has energy efficient printers, rechargeable batteries and non toxic markers. The marketplace as a whole is designing and selling more green products at a lower cost. In our private brand offerings, we are also integrating more green products this is a priority for us and we use our scale to find greener products to bring into our private brand mix. CELB eNewsletter: Through the Green Book, making such products available, do you feel it has given your business a competitive edge? If so, how and why? Siddiqui: Yes, clearly it is a differentiator. Office Depots competitors dont have a catalog anywhere near as comprehensive as ours in terms of environmentally preferable products. Customers are increasingly asking about green products, and the book is a very tangible and a user friendly tool. CELB
