My Second Stop for Office Products and Related Technology
Written: Jul 11 '04
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I have become a product of my societal age, a forty-one year old gen-xer who knows computers and loves them for what they can do for me. My kids come to me if they want to know something about computers; after all I build all of theirs myself. So I am no longer content to frequent brick-and-mortar establishments to fulfill my shopping needs; I have to purchase any and everything on-line—if possible. So it is that when it comes to office supplies and associated technology products, my first stop in OfficeDepot.com, but if they don’t have what I need (which is not often mind you), my second stop is OfficeMax.com.
The Web-Site
This site is not pretty; in fact it’s rather amateurish in its design, but very contemporary in functionality. Like its competitor Office Depot, OfficeMax.com opened it on-line virtual doors in the mid-1990’s, and like Office Depot has evolved from an on-line presence offering only office products such as paper, pens, staples, etc., to a somewhat less advanced shop festooned and burgeoning with almost everything one might need for the office. From simple office supplies to computers, to books to furniture, from ink cartridges to typewriters, OfficeMax.com, which offers over 30,000 items, has what your office needs.
Despite the less then polished look and feel, the OfficeMax.com web site is logically laid out and easy to navigate. Five red tabs at the top of the site—Supplies, Technology, Furniture, Print@CopyMax, and Services—make navigating the site a simple process. Directly under these tabs, the site touts “fast, free delivery on most orders of $50, and a 115% low price guarantee.” And directly under this advertisement are links to the site Search engine, Find Ink & Toner, and Rebate Center.
Along the left side of the site you will find categories for Supplies, Furniture, Technology, CopyMax, and Business Services. These categories are further broken down into sub-categories wherein items can be searched for by type; i.e. under Supplies, you can click onto pages for:
• Binders & binder accessories
• Breakroom & Janitorial
• Calendars & Organizers
• Clips, Rubber Bands & Pins
• Envelops
• File Folders & Accessories
• Mailroom & Shipping Supplies
• Paper, Notebooks & Pads
• Post-it, Flags, & Markers
• Presentation & Meeting Supplies
• Safes & Storage
• Staplers, Punches & Scissors
• Tape, Adhesives & Glue…well you get the picture.
The middle of the site is dedicated to highlighted products and current OfficeMax.com deals, while the right side of the site is advertising further site specials, such as the up to 75% off select items throughout the site. Along the top you’ll find the ubiquitous shopping cart, along with a link for logging into or creating an account.
Like Office Depots’ Ink Depot! the OfficeMax.com ink and toner cartridge section is replete with every major brand one might need to replace that empty printer. As I pointed out in my OfficeDepot.com review, I use HP exclusively at home, but at work I support Epson, Lexmark, Canon, and HP printers. And like Ink Depot! OfficeMax.com makes it almost too simple to find the inkjet or toner cartridge I need. Quick links to the major printer manufactures—Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Okidata, Sharp, Panasonic, Xerox, and Lexmark are afforded their own taps across the top of the site, and virtually every other manufacture of toner is represented in alphabetical order underneath. As far as I can tell, all makes and models are represented, even discontinued models.
Selection
OfficeMax.com’s selection of office related products is on par with other sites in this category, however, they have been slow to hop on the technology related items bandwagon. For instance, I have found the site’s computer-related products less diverse then OfficeDepot.com and Staples.com.
Ordering
Ordering an item is straight forward; as on most sites clicking on the red “Add to Cart,” will place the item in your shopping cart. The Shopping Cart box on the left will display the number of items in your cart and the total price of said items. Once satisfied with your purchases, you can proceed to check out wherein you can fill out your personal information and credit card info. If you have set up an account with OfficeMax.com in the past, this information will be available for quick retrieval. OfficeMax.com is a secure site so I do not have to worry about my personal information being stolen. As I pointed out above, orders over fifty dollars are shipped for free (more on that below); check out was very simple and fast.
You can also order by phone via the Office Max catalog or by calling 1-800- 283-7674, which is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and if you call in before 4pm local time, you can get next day delivery if there is a store in your immediate area.
From the Site: Most OfficeMax items ordered before 4 p.m. local time, placed for delivery within our local trading areas (within 20 miles of an OfficeMax store), are delivered the next business day from OfficeMax Delivery Centers pending credit approval and availability of the products. Orders outside our delivery area may incur longer delivery times.
OfficeMax.com offer a Low Price Guarantee on items purchased at the site. It stipulates that if you find a lower price on a new, identical product found on the site, advertised for less at any other office product or consumer electronic supplier within 14 days after your Office Max purchase, they will match the price. See the website for complete detail.
Shipping & Handling
From the Site: OfficeMax.com offers free delivery for any orders within our trade area totaling $50 or more. Orders below $50 will incur a $5 delivery charge and orders outside our trade area may have additional delivery charges. Some items may have special delivery charges associated with them. Other orders are shipped via most efficient means. Deliveries will be made between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Curiously enough I could find no further information of shipping charges anywhere on the site. I would image they are comparable to those one might find at OfficeDepot.com or Staples, but there is not way of confirming that, unless you call customer service. I would have preferred to have the information readily available on the site for ease of ordering.
Tax Exempt Purchasing
If you routinely purchase items for a business in the business of wholesaling, retailing, manufacturing, leasing (renting), or authorized to purchase on behalf of an exempt organization buying for its exempt purpose, and wish to purchase items tax free from OfficeMax.com a form or two must be filled out. Otherwise, you must pay sales tax on items purchased wherever OfficeMax has a brick-and-mortar concern, which of course is just about every state. One must call 1-800-283-7674 in order to obtain the necessary paperwork.
Conclusion
Because of the rather simplistic design of it website, I have tended to use OfficeMax.com as a merchant of last resort, rather then my first stop for the things I might need for the office. Although their prices are in-line with OfficeDepot.com and on average less then Staples.com, and the sites boosts a huge selection of vendors to choose from, finding what I need proves an easier task at OfficeDeport.com. The free shipping for orders over $50.00 is helpful when ordering big ticket items, and the 115% price match guarantee is great marketing tool, however the site needs to be redesigned to more closely reflect today’s sophisticated consumer.
Taken as a whole OfficeMax.com will ultimately have the office products I need, but the lack of spit and polish, make the website my second stop for office products of all stripes and description.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Office Supplies...
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vemartin
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Member: Vincent
Location: Aurora, IL
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