Cartridge World has long been known as one of the most successful exports of Australia. A pioneer in the printer cartridge refilling industry, Cartridge World has almost two thousand refilling stations all over the world, making it the biggest company that specializes in ink refilling these days. Cartridge World has a presence in 74 countries, and they have more than 700 stores in the United States alone.
The Corporate History of Cartridge World
As mentioned above, Cartridge World originated in Australia. It was founded by Bryan Stokes in 1991, and at the time, Cartridge World was known by the name Australia Cartridge, Co. Bryan Stokes pulled in Paul Wheeler as a partner a few years later, and in 1999, Australia Cartridge, Co. transformed into Cartridge World. At this time, the company began expanding all over Australia and outside of it.
Cartridge World works on a franchising system. Reports have shown that in the printer cartridge refilling industry, the company owns 18% of the market share, and this percentage translates to around $30 billion in annual revenue. As of the first quarter of 2008, Cartridge World has 1,984 stores in 74 countries. Of these, 763 are located in the United States. The company recently established a presence in South Africa, where it had opened three new stores.
What Makes Cartridge World Good
The beauty that Cartridge World offers is something most of its competitors are already banking on: convenience and savings for the consumer. OEM cartridges, after all, are pretty expensive. OEMs do churn out cheap printers, but oftentimes their profit comes from their consumable products, like printer cartridges and special types of printer paper. Compared to these OEM products, getting compatible ink refills from companies like Cartridge World is a lot less costly.
The stores of Cartridge World are also strategically positioned to provide the most convenience in terms of proximity to its customers. More often than not, these stores are located in inner-city neighborhoods and in the suburbs, within walking distance of most small businesses.
Challenges Faced by Cartridge World
Just like most big franchise companies, Cartridge World faces tough competition from other enterprises seeking to dethrone it from its position of supremacy. Also, OEMs such as Hewlett-Packard and Canon are making it more troublesome for Cartridge World to refill HP and Canon printer cartridges with compatible replacement ink by introducing new printing technologies and asserting their patent rights. It is now up to Cartridge World to take a step ahead of both their competitors and the OEMs by beefing up their research and becoming more innovative.
Where to Find Cartridge World in Southern California
There are 700-odd Cartridge World stores in the United States, and a number of them are in Southern California, particularly Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County. Here are the addresses of some Cartridge World franchises.
• 6380 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
• 1852N Tustin Street, Orange, CA
• 3952H Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA
• 11743 Whittier Blvd., Whittier, CA
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