With the new year being just around the corner, it’s almost that time where you need to restock your office’s stationery cupboard- or maybe you’re working from home and are just looking for some new stationery to spruce up your usual working station. Whatever it may be, you’re going to want a good place to get them from.
Seeing that this year is a little bit different from that of the rest, this, of course, being due to the uprisal of the Covid-19 pandemic and its resultant social distancing measures, your usual stationery shopping trip is also bound to change. While many of us are used to frequenting our local bookshops to restock our drawers at this time of the year, doing so has become an option that is no longer safe. Thus, we have no other choice than to change the game and start relying on online shopping.
There are definitely many sites to choose from when it comes to online shopping, especially considering the fact that plenty of businesses jumped aboard the e-commerce train after the first lockdown, but you should make sure that your money is going into a place that you can trust. Thus, to make it easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of the 3 online stationery shops that you should consider getting your supplies for the new year from.
- PothKade
You may know PothKade already as the stationery arm of Lanka Traders that has been in the industry for over 55 years. The store sits on Dam Street in Pettah, and is considered one of the most trusted importer and wholesaler of stationery in the country. Their online store launched recently with the news of the pandemic, and has proven to be a successful operation.
PothKade’s website is mobile friendly, and holds over 2500 of their stationery items and other goods. For those who would prefer to stick to them, the company even offers an app that is available on the Apple Store as well as on the Google Play Store.
Apart from their many products and convenient app, one of the main selling points of this store would definitely be the fact that they are able to retail all of their stationery products at wholesale prices, and when you’re trying to cut down office expenses, nothing sounds better than a lower bill. Thus, you will be able to get the supplies that you and your colleagues love without being charged a higher price just because of where you bought it from.
As for payment options, customers can choose from paying by credit card, through a bank transfer, a bank deposit or even select cash on delivery.
In addition to that, PothKade offers delivery island wide, and even does so on the same day for those in Colombo or other suburbs if they place their order before 4 pm. So with great deals and good delivery, Poth Kade comes in at the top of our list.
- Sarasavi The Books Shop
Sarasavi has been a well known name in Sri Lankan for several generations, and remains so to this day. This, of course, is due to none other than the fact that they have become one of the most known stationery providers in the country. Starting from just a single store, the Sarasavi book shops slowly made their way across the island, and are now found almost everywhere- even online.
While the site is packed with plenty of items to browse through, especially books, they also have a very generous collection of stationery that contains the brands that many of us know and trust, such as Weerodara and Atlas.
The site also gives users the option of adding items to a wishlist- so if you see some things your office could need eventually, although now is not the time, you could save it there and purchase it later. Apart from that, this site too offers secure payments and delivery island wide. It must be said that these items are slightly more expensive than those that one would find at PothKade, considering the fact that they are being sold at retail prices.
- The F:;llstop
If you’re a stationery lover, there is no doubt that at some point in time you were told to give F:;llstop a visit. If it’s intriguing name isn’t enough for you, its stock might be. This bookshop is packed with all sorts of goodies you could include in your office stationery pile- all of which can be found in their store at the One Galle Face mall, as well as on their website.
To start with, the store offers a variety of writing equipment from various brands, including some of the regular brands like Maped. Apart from that, it must also be mentioned that the store holds other relatively higher-end brands that you might recognize if you keep up with the trends in the stationery world. For example, they hold a lovely collection of Moleskine notebooks, which definitely have a very professional feel to them.
This being said, it also also comes without saying that the stationery supplies you would get at this store are much more expensive than those you could get at Sarasavi or PothKade. However, if that’s your taste and your office budget is willing, then you should definitely go ahead!
The F:;llstop does not deliver to every part of the island, however, they do cover a fair amount of it.
With that, we’ve come to the end of our list of the top 3 places that we think you should get your office stationery from this year. Online shopping may not be everybody’s cup of tea and not all sites are trustworthy- we get that. So take it from us, PothKade, Sarasavi and F:;llstop are the way to go for all your stationery needs, and their sites and delivery have proven to be easy to use, stocked with items that are actually useful, and definitely worth the small charge for delivery in exchange for shopping in the safety of your own home.
