Company: ACCO
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-024931
Chunk: 95

Company: ACCO BRANDS Corp
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 95
---
 our use of sourcing finished products.

For further information on the seasonality of our net sales, earnings and cash flow, see "Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations"

2

Customers

We distribute our products through a wide variety of channels to ensure that our products are readily and conveniently available for purchase by consumers and other end-users, wherever they prefer to shop. These channels include mass retailers, e-tailers, discount, drug/grocery and variety chains, warehouse clubs, hardware and specialty stores, independent office product dealers, office superstores, wholesalers, contract stationers, and specialist technology businesses. We also sell directly through e-commerce sites and our direct sales organization. 

Competition

We operate in a highly competitive environment. ACCO Brands competes with numerous branded consumer and business products manufacturers, as well as many private label suppliers and importers, including various customers who import their own private label products directly from foreign sources. 

The Company meets competitive challenges by creating and maintaining leading brands and differentiated products that deliver superior value, performance, and benefits to consumers and other end-users. Our products are sold through diverse distribution channels. We further meet consumer and end-user needs by developing, producing, and procuring products at a competitive cost, enabling them to be sold at attractive selling prices. We also believe that our experience and skill in managing complex assortments and large seasonal demand is a competitive advantage, as are our strong relationships with technology and content providers in our technology accessories categories. 

Product Development

We seek opportunities to invest in new products and adjacencies. Our innovation efforts focus on generating new, exciting, and differentiated products that meet consumer and other end-user needs and provide the opportunity to meaningfully grow sales and margins. Our commitment to understanding our consumers and end-users and designing products that fulfill their needs drives our product development strategy, which we believe will continue to be a key contributor to our success. Our products are developed by our internal research and development teams and with technology providers. Costs related to product development when paid directly by ACCO Brands are included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Marketing and Demand Generation

We support our brands with a significant investment in targeted marketing and advertising, including on-shelf and in-store, and through digital and social media and consumer promotions that increase brand awareness, drive conversion, and highlight the innovation and differentiation of our products. We work with third-party vendors, such as Nielsen, Circana, GfK SE, NEWZOO and Kant