The franchise is taking advantage of the closure of Office Depot and OfficeMax stores by hiring retail staff.
Herald Online reported on how Cartridge World in North America is “providing office supply professionals” that have lost their jobs at Office Depot and OfficeMax stores “an opportunity to stay in the industry – and become their own boss”.
The two US retail giants announced they would be merging together in February 2013, and earlier this year Office Depot revealed that 400 stores across the USA would close as a consequence. While Cartridge World discussed the increase in customers that it might enjoy as a result of the merger last year, it is now seeing a “surge in interest from those looking to operate their own Cartridge World business” who formerly worked for the two office giants.
Cartridge World noted that the closings “create job opportunities for entrepreneurs” and “former retail managers”, with “new, greener pastures [available] in the office product industry” as a Cartridge World franchisee. The company gave the example of Wiley Dempsey, who was in charge of an Office Depot store “for nearly 15 years” and now owns a Cartridge World store in Montgomery, Alabama, and who noted that “when one door closed, another opened at Cartridge World”.
He added: “The transition from a big box store to Cartridge World was surprisingly easy. When I joined the company, I had all the experience of working in a similar industry. With Cartridge World, I was able to specialise on the printing services market. Every business and home uses printers and printing supplies. Unlike at the superstore, I was able to focus on and become the local printing expert. We can recommend printers and cartridges for every customer that saves money with every copy.”
Cartridge World added that “more than 30 new Cartridge World signings and openings” in 2014 across the USA show that “Dempsey’s business aspirations are shared by many”, particularly as “the familiarity of business-to-business selling and the office product industry give ex-big box managers an immediate advantage to succeed”.
William Swanson, CEO of Cartridge World North America, added: “While Cartridge World franchisees come from a variety of backgrounds, those with proven office supply experience have an ideal background in the printing supplies industry. We look for the best partners. And we open doors for professionals looking to put their networking, sales and customer service skills to use, and who want to succeed through franchising.”