Although there are probably many office supply stores in your immediate area, you may want to consider buying your office supplies online. There are many advantages to shopping on the Internet for things such as paper, computer equipment, software and even office furniture. Here are four reasons to do your office supply shopping online.

Easy Comparison Shopping. Shopping for office supplies online allows you to quickly do comparison- shopping without leaving your home or your office. Instead of driving from store to store looking for the best deal, you can find it with just the click of a mouse. As you probably already know, there can be big differences in price for common supplies depending on the brand and the retailer. Using a site like Froogle.com allows you to easily compare the price of an item across several different shopping platforms. If you've always wanted to know which store has the best deal on ink for your printer a shopping comparison site will help you.

Save Money with Coupon Codes and Free Shipping. Taking your search online can also help you save money. Many online office supply retailers offer free shipping and deep discounts on common items. Instead of spending money on gas to drive to and from the office supply store, you can have your items automatically delivered. Stock up on necessary items by buying in bulk and save even more money. Depending on the time of the year, you can often find coupon codes and special offers that will allow you to take as much as $30 off $150 purchases. And many of the larger retail office supply stores offer free delivery on purchases over a certain amount (usually $50 or more.)

Hard to Find Items. Online office supply stores can also help you find specialty items that may not be carried in your local area. For example, if you need a specific size of file to go in your antique file cabinet, you may be able to find just what you're looking for online. The same goes for unique or designer office supply items. If the office supplies at your local chain store leave you yawning, try searching online to find just a desk, pens or the wipe board that will match your personal sense of style.

Reminders and Auto Shipments. Once you have established an account with an online office supply store, you can choose to be reminded on a regular basis of consumable products that need to be purchased again and again. For example, the store's system will contact you every two months about purchasing ink for your printer. If you're doing the purchasing for a large office, this can be a great timesaver. Instead of having to keep track of what brands of printer ink are needed and when they need to be purchased, the office supply store will do this for you. Even if you're just buying for your personal home office this aspect of buying online is a welcome feature.

The next time you need office supplies, try searching online first before you head over to the local big box store. You'll be getting quality supplies without the hassle of wading through the crowds and wasting time comparison shopping among different stores. Whether you're shopping for yourself or for your employer, experiment to see how much money and time you can save.