Most end-of-year rush orders start with a gap nobody noticed. The last ream goes on the morning a report is due. The printer runs dry before a board pack. Next year's spine labels were never reordered.
October is the easiest month to fix that. Workloads are building, but November deadlines and the December wind-down have not arrived yet. Many suppliers and couriers also run reduced services over the Christmas and New Year period, so orders placed late in December can take longer to land.
The checklist below covers six zones: paper, print, labels, filing, cleaning and shared spaces. Give each one about 90 seconds and tick what is there. Whatever is left unticked becomes one order, placed while normal delivery times still apply.
Give every item on the list a reorder point: the number that means order now. Cover normal use until the next delivery arrives, plus a small buffer. If the office uses two reams of A4 a week and delivery takes a few business days, one carton of five reams keeps you covered.
From our team in Tweed Heads
Six zones to check before Q4 gets busy
Allow about 90 seconds per zone. Tick each item as you go, and anything left unticked goes on your order list.
Prefer paper? Print this page (Ctrl + P or ⌘ + P) and only the checklist will print. Ticks are not saved once you leave the page.
Paper
Printers, copiers and the stationery cupboard
Paper tends to run out on the morning a report or board pack is due, so count it first.
What to use: 80gsm A4 by the carton, the simplest unit to set a reorder point against.
Restock: A4 copy and print paper · Copy and office paper
Every printer and multifunction device
Toner and ink are specific to each printer, so the model number matters as much as the count.
What to use: one spare set per printer, matched by the cartridge code on the old one.
Restock: Toner cartridges · Ink and toner deals
Labels
Mailroom, dispatch and filing
Q4 brings parcels, mailouts and new files, and each one needs a label that suits the printer or label maker you already have.
What to use: shipping and address labels for outgoing parcels, and spine labels for next year's files.
Restock: Label supplies · Filing labels
Filing and desk essentials
Shelves, shared drawers and meeting tables
January's files need somewhere to go, and the shared stationery drawer tends to empty quietly over the year.
What to use: archive boxes to clear this year's files, then lever arch files, notebooks and sticky notes for the new year.
Restock: Lever arch binders · Archive boxes · Notebooks · Sticky notes
Cleaning and washroom
Washrooms, kitchens and shared desks
Count washroom lines by the carton, and check that refills match the dispensers on the wall before you order.
What to use: hand towel in the format your dispenser takes, plus surface wipes for desks and phones.
Restock: Cleaning · Paper towels · Cleaning wipes
Breakroom and shared spaces
Kitchen, meeting rooms and reception
These are the spaces visitors see first, and end-of-year gatherings use more than a normal month.
What to use: tea and coffee for the month, plus markers and cleaner for each meeting room.
Restock: Catering and hospitality · Coffee · Whiteboard cleaners
Minute ten: turn the gaps into one order
- Collect. Everything left unticked across the six zones becomes your order list.
- Match. Add the printer models, cartridge codes and dispenser formats you noted.
- Order once. Place it as one delivery, then diarise a quick re-check for mid-November.
Nine reliable restocks for the six zones
Dependable everyday lines chosen to cover the checklist, from the paper tray to the breakroom.
Paper
Double A A4 Copy Paper 80gsm White Carton of 5 Reams 2500 Sheets
Five wrapped reams, 2,500 sheets of 80gsm A4. Double A publishes an opacity above 94 per cent for this range, which helps double-sided pages read cleanly.
A carton is the simplest unit to set a reorder point against.
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Toner cartridges for your printer model
Toner is printer-specific, so start with the model number you noted on the checklist. The range covers Brother, HP, Canon, Kyocera, Lexmark, Fuji Xerox, OKI, Ricoh and more.
Search by the cartridge code printed on the old cartridge for an exact match.
Find your toner
Labels
Avery Filing Labels Lever Arch Spine 200 x 60mm 4UP 100 Labels
100 spine labels, four to an A4 sheet, for laser and inkjet printers. A black backing is designed to cover the old label underneath when files are reused.
Relabel this year's files before they move to archive.
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Filing
Marbig Super Strong Archive Box White Carton of 12
Rated by Marbig to a 35kg maximum load and stacking up to 10 high. Each box holds foolscap folders, up to three lever arch files or six ring binders.
Clear the shelves now so next year's files have somewhere to go.
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Desk
Cumberland Red and Black Notebook Gloss Cover A4 100 Leaf
The classic casebound red and black notebook, with 100 ruled A4 leaves and a gloss cover, made for desk and office note-taking.
For planning meetings, handovers and next year's to-do list.
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Desk
Post-it Notes Canary Yellow 76 x 76mm 100 Sheets Pack of 12
Twelve pads of 100 sheets in canary yellow. The 76 x 76mm square is big enough for a name and number or a short to-do list, and small enough to sit on the edge of a screen.
One pack keeps the shared stationery drawer covered for a while.
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Cleaning
Vanilla Fresh Multi Purpose Cleaning Wipes Pack of 100 Case of 3
Three soft packs of 100 wipes with a mild vanilla scent, for the small jobs: a coffee ring on the meeting table, crumbs on a shared desk or a smudged phone handset.
Keep a pack in each shared space and meeting room.
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Washroom
Livi 1415 Essentials Ultraslim Towel 2 Ply 150 Sheets Carton 16
Sixteen packs of 150 two-ply ultraslim towels for washrooms, kitchens and staff areas.
Check that your dispenser takes the ultraslim format. Carton washroom lines ship on bulky freight, so order them together.
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Breakroom
Twinings English Breakfast Tea 500 Pack
500 individually enveloped bags of full-bodied black tea, strong enough to drink black and smooth with milk. Enveloped bags are fine to leave out on a self-serve tea point.
Covers the daily cuppa plus end-of-year morning teas.
View productThree ways to keep Q4 ordering simple
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Consolidate
One order built from the checklist is easier to track and receive than a string of small top-ups. Free standard delivery on orders of $149* (conditions apply) to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas.
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Group the bulky lines
Cartons of hand towel, toilet paper and similar washroom lines travel on bulky freight. Ordering them together in one delivery keeps freight simple.
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Ask for a quote on volume
For several sites or a large end-of-year function, use Add to Quote or Bulk Enquiry on the product page, or talk to our team.
*Conditions apply. Freight applies to bulky items and some locations. See freight and delivery for details.
Frequently asked questions
How often should we run a supply check?
Once a month suits most offices, with an extra check before busy periods such as the end of the financial year and Q4. The first check takes the longest. After that, you are mostly confirming reorder points.
Who should own the checklist?
Pick one person, often the office manager or whoever places orders, and give them this page. The walk-through works best when the same person counts and orders.
How much should we keep on hand?
Enough to cover normal use until the next delivery arrives, plus a small buffer. For items that stop work when they run out, such as paper and toner, keep at least one spare unit per printer or location.
How do I find the right toner or label tape?
Use the cartridge or tape code printed on the item you are replacing, or the printer or label maker model number. If you are unsure, send us the model and our team will confirm the match.
When should we place orders before Christmas?
Earlier is safer. Couriers and suppliers get busier through November and December, and many run reduced services over the Christmas and New Year period. Ordering Q4 essentials in October or early November avoids most of that pressure.
Ten minutes now beats a rush order in December
Walk the six zones and put the gaps into one order this month. If you are not sure which toner, tape or refill fits your machine or dispenser, send us the model and our team will match it.
Mega Office Supplies helps Australian workplaces keep the everyday essentials covered, from our Tweed Heads team and our suppliers' warehouse network nationwide.
