OfficeMax, formerly Boise Cascade, is the third largest office products retailer in North America with more than 900 superstores in the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In an effort to improve productivity, OfficeMax is streamlining operations across all its channels, including the web.
The company is consolidating four e-commerce platforms into one, rolling out a new core site navigation system this quarter and enhancing site search. Also in the works are an increased emphasis on web analytics and exploring new merchandising strategies such as online printing of business cards. OfficeMax, No. 40 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide to Retail Web Sites, updates its e-commerce program frequently–within the last 18 months the company has developed tighter synergies between its various business-to-business e-commerce sites.
But OfficeMax CFO Don Civgin recently told investment bankers and research analysts that the company needs to realign its supply chain and information technology initiatives. As a result, multiple data centers are being consolidated into two.
At some point OfficeMax also will be rolling out web-enabled kiosks in stores. “We will implement a common e-commerce platform,” Civgin says. “We will have common features for all business segments and common marketing and merchandising processes.” OfficeMax says it will end 2006 with about 887 bricks-and-mortar locations.
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