The North American arm of the global franchise found that 76 percent of SMBs use the internet to purchase printer cartridges, while 58 percent prefer purchasing in-store.
The company reported that “while B2B retailers continue to invest heavily in e-commerce”, they might want to “put equal attention towards their brick-and-mortar stores”, with a study undertaken by Cartridge World seeking to “determine the methods and preferences” of SMBs when it comes to purchasing printer cartridges.
76 percent of those surveyed shop online for cartridges, while 58 percent buy in-store, with 400 respondents – including companies with over 100 employees – taking part from 40 different states. Respondents included computer service providers, schools, construction and law companies as well as hotels. The survey found that larger, office-based companies “are more likely to use online purchasing”, while smaller, home-based businesses “do more in-store shopping”.
Other findings included that businesses with more staff “placed more importance” on customer service and additional services like printer repair, while “more than half” of office-based SMBs find a “higher value in printing products and services being bundled together”. This fits in with Cartridge World North America’s move last year to offer printing solutions as well as products.
William Swanson, CEO of Cartridge World North America, commented: “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.
“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 personalised in-store experience. 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.”
He continued: “Cartridge World is evolving to best serve our existing and target business customers. 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.”