Office supplies can be purchased from office superstores, mail order companies, local independent dealers or through a contract stationer.

Office superstores
Superstores combine outstanding marketing with tight cost controls to attract customers. Suburban locations and warehouse-like stocking helps keep overhead low, while their enormous sales volume allows superstores to obtain deep discounts from manufacturers.

Mail order vendors
Mail order vendors cater to the same small businesses as office superstores, but tend to also appeal to larger companies. These vendors rely on catalogs for their marketing efforts, offering toll free order lines and inexpensive shipping charges to compete with local firms. With distribution centers strategically located, mail order vendors typically offer delivery within 1-3 days of an order.

Local independent dealers
Before the advent of superstores and mail order, the local office supply dealer was the primary source of supplies for most businesses. These dealers usually offer the broadest product selection, making them a good resource for hard-to-find items. Today, office supply dealers are a dying breed, with more than half exiting the market in the past ten years.

Contract stationers
Primarily targeting businesses of 75 or more employees, contract stationers offer a very broad product line, custom pricing, and full service offerings to attract larger businesses.