TRADE COPIERS
Trading up Sustainability throughout a business is increasingly key – so finding sustainable ways to dispose of devices such as photocopiers is important, and Trade Copiers does just that. But behind the successful business is a clever process that ensures everything is traceable and means Trade Copiers is set for a promising future.
For many businesses, sustainability is increasingly becoming key – not just in how they conduct their business, but throughout their supply chain and product lifecycle – which can be demonstrated to customers of businesses they are working with. No longer can a fleet of photocopiers be replaced and just sent to landfill, as in years past, now they need ensure they have a life after their first deployment. This is where Trade Copiers comes in. Trade Copiers, which is based in Penrith, takes used photocopiers, wipes their data, prepares them and then sells them on, be it to the UK or overseas. “We think that every device we export is one machine saved from landfill,” says Mark Gemmell, Trade Copiers’ head of sales and operations. “We consider ourselves an extremely sustainable business. A lot of the devices would end up in the ground or being reused potentially as a raw material. By finding a second life for it, it is doing the right thing environmentally, which is important. “Businesses want to see that sustainability is in your overall business model and business culture. Because of our services, we’re able to offer clients an opportunity to do that. If someone’s looking to obtain a specific ISO or an industry award, sustainability is key and our entire business model provides that service for a lot of clients in areas that they’re just unable to fulfill themselves.” It is a business that has boomed in recent years. During COVID, and the disruption that bought to the supply chain, it drove the demand for used copiers up, along with prices. “It made for a really competitive and exciting market for used products,” he says. “That bubble was never going to last and although we had a record-breaking year last year, the bubble has somewhat burst as the supply of new devices has become more sustainable and consistent. So while demand for used devices isn’t quite as high as it
was, we’re still finding the market extremely buoyant. But rather than customers fighting over the stock that we have, our salespeople have had to go back into selling mode and ensure that we are offering all our inventory to the right people. “On average, every copier that arrives stays in stock for less than 30 days. We’ve got two huge facilities in Penrith, but they’re constantly full, so we have an obsession about age stock and stock turn. If we’ve got a copier that’s been in stock for longer than average, it’s being reviewed daily because for every day it stays effectively it’s costing us money.” Export market About 95% of what Trade Copiers sells goes to export, says Mark. “We only sell the very cream of the crop back into the UK and we still see strong demand for that product despite the availability of new devices and the willingness of people to now do deals. “But we know that the demand is there for copiers because of the amount we’re buying. We’re still buying 40-45,000 devices a year and most of them are from dealer groups that have been in end user sites. As long as that number remains buoyant, we know that people are having their copiers replaced. So that would give us an indication that it’s a very strong market.” Trade Copiers’ process is simple. They generally collect used devices from a dealer – perhaps that has completed a rollout of new
Mark Gemmell head of sales and operations
tradecopiers.co.uk
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We know that
the demand is there for copiers because of the amount we’re buying. We’re still buying 40-45,000 devices a year and most of them are from dealer groups that have been in end user sites.
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