MCHENRY, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While B2B retailers continue to invest heavily in e-commerce solutions, they may want to put equal attention toward their brick and mortar stores, according to a recent study.
Research sponsored by Cartridge World, the leading ink and toner retailer and franchisor in the $80 billion printer cartridge industry, set out to determine the methods, and preferences of how small to mid-sized businesses order printing supplies.
Among other findings, Cartridge World’s study revealed that 76 percent of small to mid-sized businesses use the internet to order printer cartridges, followed by 58 percent that prefer in-store visits. The research analyzed results based on a sample of 400 respondents from 40 different states and included companies of up to 100 employees. Businesses ranged from computer services to real estate, schools, construction/contracting, law offices, hotels, mortgage brokers and more.
“One consumer insight is that while shopping for printing supplies, the online channel remains primary among business customers but a significant market share still prefers a personalized in-store experience,” said William D. Swanson, CEO of Cartridge World North America. “Based on this insight, Cartridge World launched a refresh plan to update more than 500 brick-and-mortar locations in North America. Plus, we’ll continue to deliver best-in-class customer service for our e-commerce buyers.”
In addition, the Cartridge World study found that businesses with a higher number of employees placed more importance on customer service and extra services, such as repair of printers and copiers. More than half of office-based businesses (versus home-based) find a higher value in printing products and services being bundled together.
Last year, Cartridge World announced that it was shifting its model to better serve business customers by expanding beyond printing products to a full range of B2B printing solutions that fill a need neither big box nor office supply stores meet.
As part of the new offering, Cartridge World implemented a Printer Bundle service that supplies businesses with printers, ink, toner and paper along with providing maintenance and service for their printers.
The Cartridge World study also found that larger, office-based businesses are more likely to use online purchasing and use multiple purchasing channels, while smaller, home-based businesses do more in-store shopping.
“Cartridge World is evolving to best serve our existing and target business customers,” Swanson said. “Cartridge World franchisees who adopted our new B2B model are experiencing larger volume sales and ROI through building relationships with business customers. The research confirms our service remains extremely relevant in today’s marketplace.”
Cartridge World is the leading ink and toner retailer and franchisor in the $80 billion printer cartridge industry. Stores offer customers a tremendous cost-saving alternative to printing, offering a 30-percent discount over full-priced OEM cartridges and a 100-percent satisfaction guarantee. Cartridge World has more than 1,200 franchised retail locations in over 50 countries. For information about Cartridge World products or franchise opportunities visit CartridgeWorld.com. For the complete FranchiseDirect.com Top 100 Global Franchises ranking report please visit: franchisedirect.com/top100globalfranchises/rankings/.
