Across two studies — a 635-respondent brand awareness survey and a 641-respondent buyer needs deep-dive — the data paints a clear picture: Quill has a significant awareness gap, but the market is hungry for exactly what Quill offers. Only 15% of decision makers have heard of Quill (aided), and just 1.9% recall it unprompted. Yet when buyers describe what they want — real humans on the phone, rewards that feel personal, a vendor that values their business — they're describing Quill's core strengths without knowing it. The opportunity is massive, especially in the mid-market where 88% of buyers express interest after hearing the value prop.
All respondents are office supply decision makers at organizations with 10+ employees across 12 industries.
Actual distribution landed at approximately 57% SMB (10–49), 22% Mid-Size (50–249), 12% Upper Mid-Market (250–999), and 9% Enterprise (1,000+). This over-indexes on mid-market and enterprise vs. the 80/15/5 target, providing richer data for segment-level analysis at larger company sizes. All 635 brand awareness respondents recognized at least one vendor in the aided list, validating data quality across the sample.
N=635 office supply decision makers. Where does Quill sit — and who are the people who actually know about it?
Quill's unaided awareness (1.9%) puts it behind every major competitor — even Uline (5.2%) and Grainger (4.4%). Aided awareness at 15.3% trails WB Mason (15.6%), Uline (31.2%), and Grainger (40.2%). But among the 97 people who have heard of Quill, 75% have a positive impression, 79% say the Staples connection is positive, and 79% say the 70-year heritage builds trust. The brand resonates — it just doesn't reach enough people.
Quill-aware buyers are power shoppers — they use 37% more vendors, recognize 70% more brands, and are significantly more likely to shop across multiple vendors. They also over-index on shopping at Staples (+14pts), Grainger (+15pts), WB Mason (+10pts), and Costco (+13pts). These aren't loyalists locked into one vendor — they're savvy comparison shoppers who've found Quill because they look harder. To reach more buyers like them, Quill needs to show up in the channels where active shoppers compare.
Quill awareness is strongest in Manufacturing (25%) and Professional Services (21%) — industries with established office supply procurement habits. It's weakest in Hospitality (8%) and Construction (10%). By job title, Directors/VPs and Office/Operations staff are most Quill-aware (25% each), while Owners/Founders (11%) and C-Suite (10%) are least aware. This suggests Quill's reach is through operational buyers, not top-of-house decision makers — a key consideration for targeting.
87% of decision makers are somewhat or very open to trying a new vendor. Amazon leads at 70%, but no single vendor dominates — Staples (50%), Walmart (43%), and Office Depot (41%) all have significant share. Only 4.6% have purchased from Quill. The top switching drivers are table stakes: lower prices (67%), faster delivery (54%), better selection (48%). But 27% want better access to real people and 21% want an intro promotion — both are Quill strengths.
Buyers who know Quill are 6 points less likely to struggle reaching a real person (18% vs. 24%), 8 points less likely to complain about limited selection (12% vs. 20%), and 5 points less likely to cite slow delivery (21% vs. 26%). This suggests Quill may already be solving the pain points that frustrate the broader market — its current customers just aren't loud enough to generate awareness through word-of-mouth.
When asked what drives vendor choice, 81% say price and only 2.4% say "feeling valued." But when asked directly, 60% say feeling valued is "very important" and another 33% say "somewhat important." There's a gap between the rational answer and the emotional truth. Meanwhile, phone (42%) remains the #1 preferred contact channel — ahead of email (30%) and chat (16%). The market hasn't moved past human connection.
N=641 office supply decision makers. Do Quill's historic strengths still resonate — or has the "new age" buyer moved on?
70% of buyer relationships are transactional or "mostly transactional." Price (50%) and convenience (40%) keep them — not affection. Only 5% cite rewards and 8% cite customer service as loyalty drivers. The market is loosely held, and incumbents aren't earning loyalty through anything Quill can't match or beat.
The "batman" model has universal appeal — 49% of SMB wants a dedicated rep, climbing to 59% at 250–999 and 68% at 1,000+. Phone remains the #1 contact preference across all segments (35–55%). And buyers who already have a genuine vendor relationship are most likely to want a rep (63%), suggesting that once people experience personal service, they don't want to go back. Quill's 250+ dedicated sales team is positioned for exactly this demand.
The top two needs — fast delivery (61%) and competitive pricing (53%) — are table stakes. But what follows maps directly to Quill's RTB pillars: wide assortment / one-stop shop (37%) validates "Business First Focus," and access to a real person (15%) plus dedicated reps (10%) validate "Real Help From Real Experts." When respondents hear what Quill offers, real-person service jumps to #1 at 57% — a 42-point gap between what they say matters generally and what excites them about Quill specifically. The RTBs aren't relics.
83% overall interest is strong, but it peaks at 88% in the 50–999 employee range — the mid-market is Quill's sweetest spot. And the strongest resonance comes from buyers who value customer service (90% interested) and product selection (90%) in their current vendor. Buyers who stay loyal "just for price" are least interested (84% — still high, but directionally lower). This means Quill's best acquisition targets aren't the pure price shoppers — they're the buyers who care about the full experience and aren't getting it from Amazon.
Overall, Rewards+ wins narrowly (46% vs. 39% QuillPlus). But there's a clear segment split: SMB prefers QuillPlus (43% vs. 40% Rewards+), while upper-mid and enterprise prefer Rewards+ (54% vs. 32%). Mark's hypothesis that Rewards+ sounds like a confusing upsell may hold more weight with smaller, less procurement-savvy buyers. If Quill's growth priority is SMB acquisition, QuillPlus may be the stronger name. If retention of larger accounts matters more, Rewards+ is safer. This warrants the deeper naming study.
Two parallel quantitative surveys fielded to business supply decision makers across the United States.
Blind study — Quill not revealed until aided awareness question. Covers unaided/aided awareness, purchasing behavior, vendor usage, decision factors, frustrations, switching openness, and contact channel preferences. Quill deep-dive only for respondents who recognized the brand (n=97).
Separate sample. Explores vendor relationships, service expectations, rewards/loyalty, dedicated rep preferences, and evolving business needs. Quill introduced at Q8 with brief description. Includes loyalty program naming (Rewards+ vs. QuillPlus vs. QuillPro). Maps to Quill's three RTB pillars.
All percentages calculated from total respondents per study unless otherwise noted. Multi-select questions may exceed 100%. Fielded via Gather AI-powered survey platform, 2025. All respondents passed attention check (100% pass rate).