School Supplies Wholesaling in the US - Industry Market Research Report

Hit the Books: Increased School Enrollment and Funding Will Likely Prevent More Substantial Revenue Declines

School supplies wholesalers have struggled over the five years to 2023 with falling demand and declining supply-chain relevance. Classrooms have become more digitized as computers and tablets become more common, and remaining purchases of school supplies are often being bought from online retailers like Amazon that cut wholesalers out of the supply chain. Still, pent-up demand allowed schools to purchase higher-priced goods, which offset losses in 2020 for many distributors. Wholesaler bypass has weakened revenue growth over the past five years, leading industry-wide revenue to grow at a CAGR of 0.6% over the past five years and is expected to total $3.8 billion in 2023, when revenue will drop by an estimated 2.2%. This industry is composed of companies that primarily perform merchant wholesale distribution of school equipment and supplies. Operators that distribute books and furniture are excluded from this industry. This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.