What Paperstone does

Paperstone Ltd is a UK-based independent e-commerce retailer of office, workplace, and facilities supplies, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The company sells more than 60,000 products across categories including filing and archiving, pens and pencils, desktop essentials, paper, envelopes, ink and toner cartridges (with a cartridge finder supporting over 10,000 printer models), office furniture, catering supplies, janitorial and cleaning products, packaging and mailing, health and safety equipment, and computer accessories. Orders are placed through paperstone.co.uk, by phone, or via live chat.

The platform is a standard self-serve e-commerce storefront with account registration, saved favourites, multi-address delivery, stored printers, and order tracking. The company has no proprietary AI/ML features, no disclosed APIs, and no mobile app. Delivery is fulfilled via DPD and Truline couriers, with the company claiming over 95% next-working-day delivery across the entire UK including Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, and the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time transactional product sales with a pay-as-you-go pricing model, with prices shown both ex VAT and inc VAT, free next-day delivery above a £50 ex VAT threshold, and a £4.95 ex VAT standard delivery charge below that threshold. Additional value levers include interest-free credit accounts, a reward scheme, and a price-match promise. The primary customer segment is UK businesses (SMB through enterprise) procuring office essentials, with secondary segments in home office workers and educational institutions. No named enterprise customers, no revenue figures, and no funding history are disclosed.

Name

Paperstone

Legal name

Paperstone Ltd

Website

https://paperstone.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paperstone Ltd is an independent UK e-commerce retailer of office, workplace, and facilities supplies, founded in 2004 and serving UK businesses, home office workers, and educational institutions with over 60,000 products and next-day delivery nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Office Supplies Retail

NAICS

Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941), Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42412)

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110)

akta.pro primary industry

Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Office supplies
• Stationery products
• Office furniture
• Catering supplies
• Janitorial supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Tunbridge Wells

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Traditional B2B/B2C e-commerce model selling office supplies, stationery, furniture, catering, and janitorial products directly to customers through their website. Revenue generated from product margins on transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Paperstone is a UK-based e-commerce retailer that sells more than 60,000 office and workplace products direct to customers through its paperstone.co.uk website. The catalogue spans stationery, paper, filing and archiving, ink and toner cartridges, office machines, computer accessories, office furniture, catering supplies, janitorial and cleaning products, packaging and mailing materials, and health and safety equipment, with next-working-day delivery on over 95% of items.

Product overview

Paperstone is a UK-based office supplies e-commerce retailer operating as a single unified e-commerce platform. The company offers over 60,000 products across diverse categories including Filing & Archiving (dividers, lever arch files, ring binders), Pens & Pencils, Desktop Essentials, Meeting & Presentation, Diaries & Planners, Books & Pads, Paper, Envelopes, Arts & Graphics Supplies, Labels, Catering, Ink & Toner Cartridges (with cartridge finder for 10,000+ printers), Technology & Office Machines (printers, calculators, shredders), Computer Accessories (monitor stands, keyboards, cables), Office Furniture (chairs, desks, filing cabinets), Janitorial & Cleaning supplies, Packaging & Mailing materials, and Health & Safety equipment. The platform provides next-day delivery, free returns, and serves as a one-stop shop for workplace essentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Filing & Archiving Range of filing solutions including file dividers, lever arch files, ring binders, punched pockets, suspension files, archive storage boxes, and document wallets for organising and archiving office materials.
• Pens & Pencils Writing instruments including ballpoint pens, rollerball and gel pens, highlighters, whiteboard markers, permanent markers, and correction aids.
• Desktop Essentials Essential desk items including letter trays, desktop organisers, staplers, hole punches, scissors, paper cutters, pins, clips, sticky notes, and Post-it notes.
• Meeting & Presentation Presentation supplies including binding machines and combs, laminators and pouches, ID badges, flipcharts, sign and literature holders, conference folders, whiteboards, and notice boards.
• Office Paper Office paper including A4 and A3 copier/printer paper, coloured paper, and sticky notes.
• Envelopes Business envelopes, padded and protective envelopes, DL, C5, C4 sizes, board-backed envelopes, and postage stamps.
• Labels Address labels, filing labels, label printers, printer tapes and labels, and strung tags.
• Catering Supplies Workplace catering supplies including water, tea, coffee, food, snacks, milk, soft drinks, and kitchen appliances.
• Ink & Toner Cartridges Printer cartridges for over 10,000 printer models from brands including HP, with an online cartridge finder tool that matches cartridges to specific printers.
• Office Machines & Technology Technology products including laser, inkjet and multifunctional printers, calculators, telephones and headsets, shredders, label printers, laminators, binders, and audio visual equipment.
• Computer Accessories Computer peripherals and accessories including monitor and laptop stands, monitor arms, sit-stand workstations, webcams, headsets, speakers, cables, data storage, laptop cases, batteries, keyboards, and mice.
• Office Furniture Office furniture including operator, stacking and ergonomic chairs, office desks, home office desks, sit-standing desks, filing cabinets, pedestals, cupboards, shelving, tables, bookcases, and office screens.
• Janitorial & Cleaning Cleaning and hygiene products including vacuum cleaners, rubbish bins, hand wash dispensers, toilet rolls, hand towels, mops, cleaning cloths, air fresheners, and disinfectants.
• Packaging & Mailing Packaging supplies including packing tapes and dispensers, bubble wrap, padded envelopes, cardboard boxes, postal tubes, cutters and knives, postal scales, and trolleys and trucks.
• Health & Safety Safety equipment including fire safety products, first aid supplies, safety signs, people barriers, floor mats, and workwear/PPE.
• Diaries & Planners Personal planning products including diaries, organisers, wall planners, and calendars for annual planning and scheduling.
• Books & Pads Notebooks, Pukka pads, and various types of writing pads for documentation and note-taking.
• Arts & Graphics Supplies Artistic and graphic materials including foamboard and craft and hobby supplies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of orders delivered within 1 working day
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Viking: Viking is a direct UK office supplies competitor offering a similar B2B/B2C catalog of office products, stationery, and furniture with delivery services. It competes head-to-head with Paperstone in the UK market for business office supplies.
• Ryman: Ryman is a UK stationery and office supplies retailer with both online and physical stores. It overlaps with Paperstone in stationery, paper, and office essentials for business and consumer customers.
• Lyreco: Lyreco is a major European office supplies distributor with UK operations serving B2B customers. It competes with Paperstone in workplace supplies, cleaning, and catering products across business segments.
• Euroffice: Euroffice is a UK-based online office supplies retailer with a comparable product catalog and target customer base of SMBs and larger businesses. It directly competes with Paperstone on price and range for office essentials.
• Banner: Banner is a UK office supplies distributor serving businesses with stationery, paper, and workplace products. It competes with Paperstone in the UK B2B office supplies market with similar product categories.

Regional players

• Officeworks: Officeworks is a leading office supplies retailer in Australia, comparable to Paperstone in product breadth and business focus. As a regional player, it doesn't compete directly but illustrates the model Paperstone could pursue if it expanded internationally.
• Winc: Winc is a major Australian office supplies and workstation solutions provider serving B2B customers. Similar to Paperstone in positioning as an independent office supplies specialist, though primarily serving the Australian market.

Emerging players

• OT Group: OT Group is a UK-based B2B procurement and office supplies provider offering workplace solutions. It competes with Paperstone in the UK office supplies market with a focus on managed procurement services for businesses.

Broad incumbents

• Staples UK: Staples UK is a major office supplies retailer with both online and high-street presence. It overlaps with Paperstone's full catalog of office products, stationery, and furniture for B2B and B2C customers.
• Amazon Business: Amazon Business is a massive B2B procurement platform that competes with Paperstone across office supplies, furniture, and janitorial categories. It offers broader selection, competitive pricing, and enterprise procurement integrations that Paperstone cannot match.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/paperstone
• Facebookfacebook.com/paperstone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Paperstone