Novexco

What Novexco does

Novexco is the largest Canadian-owned office products and workplace solutions distributor, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Laval, Quebec. The company operates a multi-channel distribution model: a direct sales organization under the Hamster consumer/brand (rebranded in 2018 and supported by hamster.ca with 20,000+ SKUs), a network of 140+ independent dealer members operating 220+ retail locations across every Canadian province, and a wholesale division (S.P. Richards Canada, acquired in 2020) that supplies third-party resellers. Following the February 2026 consolidation adding 90 dealers from CWS and Guild Stationers, the combined business reports $750M CAD in sales and 4,000+ employees.

The company's product portfolio spans 500,000+ SKUs sourced through partnerships with major suppliers including 3M, Newell Brands, Acco, and Global, plus the proprietary Offix private-label brand with approximately 2,000 products. Operations are anchored by six distribution centers totaling more than 2 million square feet of warehouse space, including a flagship facility in Laval equipped with intelligent conveyor systems. Customer segments span government, financial services, insurance, healthcare, and education institutions, alongside tens of thousands of small and mid-sized businesses. Revenue is generated primarily through distribution margins on product sales across the direct, dealer-member, and wholesale channels, with e-commerce fulfillment increasingly layered on top of the legacy contract and field-sales model.

Name

Novexco

Legal name

Novexco Inc.

Website

https://novexco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Novexco is the largest Canadian-owned office products distributor, serving government, financial, healthcare, education, and SMB customers through 220+ dealer-member locations, a direct Hamster sales force, and a wholesale division (S.P. Richards Canada), with $750M CAD in combined sales and 4,000+ employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Office Products Distribution

NAICS

Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42342)

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)

akta.pro primary industry

Stationery, Writing Instruments & Paper Products Distribution (CRAOALAH)

Keywords

• Office products distribution
• Commercial office supplies
• Workplace solutions
• Office furniture distribution
• Wholesale office supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Laval

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Office Products Distribution: Novexco operates as a wholesale distributor of office supplies and workplace solutions. The company distributes products through its direct sales force (Hamster), a network of independent dealer members, and a wholesale division serving independent resellers. Revenue is generated through the sale and distribution of office products, supplies, and furniture to businesses, governments, institutions, and consumers across Canada.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Novexco is Canada's largest Canadian-owned office products distributor, distributing office supplies, furniture, and workplace solutions through three primary channels: a direct commercial sales force under the Hamster brand (with the hamster.ca e-commerce platform), a network of approximately 140 independent Canadian-owned dealers operating 220+ stores, and a wholesale division (S.P. Richards Canada / Novexco Wholesale) serving independent resellers. The company offers access to over 500,000 products from national suppliers (3M, Newell Brands, Acco, Global) and its own Offix private label brand with approximately 2,000 products, supported by six distribution centers totaling 500,000 sq ft of warehouse space across Canada.

Product overview

Novexco is a Canadian-owned office products distributor operating a multi-brand, multi-channel portfolio. The core offering centers on the Hamster™ brand, available through direct commercial sales, the hamster.ca e-commerce platform serving businesses and consumers nationwide, and a network of over 130 independent Canadian dealers operating more than 200 stores. S.P. Richards Canada and Novexco Wholesale serve independent resellers. The company's proprietary private label brand Offix® provides approximately 2,000 products across all categories. Novexco has expanded through strategic acquisitions including Lyreco Canada, S.P. Richards Canada, Club express®, BuroPLUS®, Chestwood, Crites & Riddell, and Rubanco. The company accesses over 500,000 products through its supplier network including major partners such as 3M, Newell Brands, Acco, and Global.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hamster: Flagship brand of Novexco, represented by a pan-Canadian direct sales force and hamster.ca website, serving businesses across Canada
• Offix
• S.P. Richards Canada

Products and services

• Hamster Commercial Sales Flagship commercial sales offering combining a pan-Canadian direct sales force with the hamster.ca e-commerce platform to deliver office supplies, furniture, and workplace solutions to businesses across Canada.
• Hamster.ca E-commerce Online purchasing platform offering more than 20,000 office products with delivery from Novexco distribution centers or direct from suppliers, serving both business buyers and consumers across Canada.
• Offix Private Label Brand Novexco's proprietary private label brand providing approximately 2,000 products across all office supply categories, distributed through the company's dealer network, direct sales force, and e-commerce channel.
• S.P. Richards Canada Wholesale Wholesale division offering office supplies and furniture to independent office products resellers across Canada.
• Independent Dealer Network Network of approximately 140 independent Canadian-owned dealers operating 220+ retail store locations across all provinces, providing local sales and service of office supplies and workplace solutions.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Workplace Solutions Inc. (CWS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 February 202690 dealers from Canadian Workplace Solutions Inc. joined Novexco's network, contributing to the consolidation that created Canada's largest Canadian-owned office products distributor. This addition expanded the network to approximately 140 members.
• Guild Stationers Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 February 2026Members of Guild Stationers Ltd. joined Novexco's network as part of the same consolidation. The addition of Guild Stationers members combined with CWS dealers created Canada's largest Canadian-owned office products distributor.
• 3MminorOthersNational supplier partner providing office and workplace products through Novexco's distribution network.
• Newell BrandsminorOthersNational supplier partner providing office and workplace products through Novexco's distribution network.
• AccominorOthersNational supplier partner providing office and workplace products through Novexco's distribution network.
• GlobalminorOthersNational supplier partner providing office and workplace products through Novexco's distribution network.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Staples Canada: Staples Canada is the leading national office-supplies retailer and B2B distributor (Bureau en Gros), directly competing with Novexco's Hamster direct, hamster.ca and dealer channels across enterprise, SMB and consumer segments.
• Grand & Toy: Grand & Toy is a Canadian-owned office products distributor serving enterprise and government customers — the closest Canadian-owned comparator to Novexco's Hamster direct division.
• Spicers Canada: Spicers is a Canadian wholesale distributor of office, janitorial and breakroom supplies serving independent resellers, directly comparable to Novexco's S.P. Richards Canada and Novexco Wholesale division.

Broad incumbents

• Lyreco: Lyreco is a large European-headquartered distributor of workplace and office supplies; Novexco previously acquired its Canadian arm (Lyreco Canada) and remains comparable in product mix, customer base and category breadth.
• Office Depot: Office Depot is a global office-products distributor and retailer; its parent operates Grand & Toy in Canada and competes with Novexco across enterprise contracts, e-commerce and retail.
• Essendant: Essendant (now part of Sycamore-owned Staples US) is a large U.S. wholesale distributor of office and janitorial products to independent resellers, comparable to Novexco's S.P. Richards Canada wholesale model.
• Global Industrial Company: Global Industrial distributes MRO, office and workplace products to businesses; comparable to Novexco on broad-line workplace supplies distribution and direct-to-customer fulfillment.

Others

• Acco Brands: Acco Brands is one of Novexco's named national suppliers (office products, binding, laminating); included as an adjacent ecosystem participant on the supply side of the same value chain.
• Newell Brands: Newell Brands is a named Novexco supplier of office and consumer products; included as an upstream brand owner whose distribution economics shape Novexco's margin profile.
• 3M: 3M is a major Novexco supplier of office, facility and workplace products; included as an upstream ecosystem player whose catalog and pricing decisions directly affect Novexco's assortment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Novexco