Banner Blog

In September 2021, London saw its busiest morning rush-hour since the first national lockdown of March 2020, and we continue to see a marked return to the workplace.  

On Monday 6th September a total of 831,000 passengers used the London Underground between the hours of 7am and 10am alone. This story was mirrored on the buses, with passenger numbers up 40% on the previous week, according to Transport for London. 

Although high in comparison to previous weeks and months, these figures actually represent around half of pre-pandemic figures, which paints an interesting picture on how the working population’s weekly schedule will look going forward. Last month, an average of more than 1.8 million journeys were made on the Tube every weekday - compared to 3.9m in July 2019, so it is clear that patterns have changed, perhaps permanently. With more of us using public transport to get to the office, time management is one of the key areas in making a smooth journey to work; However it’s not the only factor to take into account when switching to a Hybrid Working Solution, or making a full return to the office. 

Recently, workplaces have faced numerous challenges, including how to successfully adapt to changing circumstances and ways of working, such as finding that all important balance between home and office bases.

However, throughout this, we have continued to see an emergence of sustainable solutions as an important method of making employees feel comfortable within their workspace.

In today's society, and looking ahead to the future, environmentally responsible design represents a conscious move towards reducing our ecological footprint by saving energy and natural resources. The modern-day workspace should not only be functional, but also be able to sustain itself for years to come.

Put National Stationery Week in your diary, it’s time to celebrate. 

Fill your pencil cases, reach for your pens, grab a clean sheet of paper and get ready to celebrate – National Stationery Week is here. Celebrations begin on 4th October and run until 10th October! 

The purpose of National Stationery Week is to celebrate writing by hand, to get people all over the world talking about their favourite stationery products and for everyone around the globe to send more letters and cards. 

This year, from Monday 4th October to Sunday 10th October, and featuring key brands from the UK stationery industry, the National Stationery Week campaign will once again celebrate ‘Seven Days of Stationery’ with a series of fun activities and competitions – now is the time to declare that you are addicted to stationery!

National Stationery Week is a great time to celebrate your favourite stationery item, a handy holepuncher or your favourite highlighter. We take a look at some of our favourite picks below. 

You could save up to 70% on your usual printer ink usage when you sign up or introduce your employees to HP Instant INK - Here's how you can sign up and reap the benefits today.

Whether you are working from home, getting ready to return to the office, or doing a mixture of both, there’s never been a better time to introduce yourself or your employees to HP Instant Ink!

HP Instant Ink is an innovative way for customers to manage their ink supply efficiently, enabling expenditure via a low cost monthly subscription, saving time, money whilst helping the environment via our reuse and recycle scheme.

To help you get started and understand the brilliant effect Instant Ink can have on your business, HP are offering £10 off which can save you up to 10 months of free instant ink usage! 

Data security and encryption are even more important than ever within the workplace

In today’s society, data attacks on mobile devices and against networks and business databases are on the increase. Alongside this, the emergence of a working week often split between office and home further strengthens the need for caution when it comes to UK-GDPR rules and regulations. With the risk of huge fines and punishments in the case of a data breach, it is vital for businesses to ensure that their critical and sensitive information is properly protected. 

Banner's exclusive and sustainable toner range

Would you like to achieve high print quality, whilst at the same time using products that have less impact on the environment?

Look no further than our exclusive range of Respectful toner cartridges.

Banner is delighted to offer the full range of environmentally friendly Hey Girls period products 

Banner is delighted to offer the full range of environmentally friendly Hey Girls period products. With plastic free, vegan, Phythalate & BPA free and certified organic materials, Hey Girls also plays a large part in avoiding the issue of period poverty in the UK. They are an award-winning ‘buy one, donate one’ social enterprise, producing environmentally-friendly period products. A Scottish community interest company, Hey Girls was initially established in 2018 by Celia Hodson and her two daughters Kate and Bec as a kitchen table start up, after experiencing period poverty themselves.

Global healthcare experts and virologists agree - airborne, aerosol transmission of viruses poses a significant threat.

A person can become infected through direct contact with a person or object carrying the virus or by air. 

Part of the answer is that, whilst we are programmed to clean surfaces and wash our hands, we tend to overlook something that’s more influential in causing illness: the air we breathe!  

Over the next few months, we will be introducing you to members of our Banner Healthcare team so that you can get to know us better.

The first member of our Healthcare team that we would like you to meet is Lesley Greenhalgh. Lesley has been with Banner for 10 years and worked for and with the NHS for more than 25, including three years in NHS procurement. Having managed Trusts, CCGs and other healthcare customers in the North and Midlands, now Lesley helps manage the NHS Supply Chain Office Solutions category for Banner. This involves working with the Crown Commercial Service team to ensure, amongst many other priorities, that the best possible service is provided to all customers and a full range of products across all the category frameworks are available.

Get ready for HP+ and learn more about the smarter printing system that ensures your printer is always ready when you are and wherever you are.