Ink costs more than blood

Posted in: blog, store by Jack on 13 January 2010

Ink is the most expensive component in a printer cartridge.

Even our replacement ink, manufactured by Cartridge World specifically for its franchise locations, costs us over $100 a gallon.

Now the price of ink is increasing again, and while we regret having to do this, we are finding it necessary to slightly increase our prices to cover the additional cost.

Up until now we have been able to keep the majority of our prices static for the six years we’ve been open. Even as costs were increasing we preferred to reduce profit margins rather than raise prices. We could afford to do that because of the increased volume of sales we were enjoying, due in large part to the word-of-mouth recommendations from our current customers.

But now we’ve reached a point where we simply have to add a dollar or two to the price of a wider range of our cartridges just to cover the cost of materials.

We still offer a substantial savings over the cost of OEM cartridges from an office supply store or directly from the printer manufacturer. There’s simply no need to pay for your printer over again every time you buy a round of cartridges.

Not only do we offer you cartridges that are guaranteed to work to your satisfaction but we offer you a savings of between 30 and 50% off retail prices, depending on the cartridges you purchase.

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Ink and toner prices increased by OEMs

Posted in: News, OEM, blog by Jack on 14 January 2009

Printer.com, the largest proprietary database of printer ink and toner prices, announced their price indices show most major manufacturers are increasing their retail pricing anywhere from 3% to 6%.

This affects not just one or two manufacturers, but appears to affect all manufacturers. As of September 2008, HP increased the list prices on all Mono and Color LaserJet Print Cartridges by 5%, as well as approximately 5-6% on Inkjet Cartridges. Lexmark and Xerox also raised their pricing on printer supplies in November 2008 with 5% across the board for Lexmark and 3% to 6% for Xerox. Brother, Canon and Oki soon followed suit.

Printer.com’s Director of U.S. Operations Bob Crum, says, “Expect the ink and toner cartridge price increases to remain until several months after the recession has been put to bed. No one likes increasing prices, but ink and toner are often very profitable revenue streams for printer manufacturers, and incremental price increases just make business sense for a lot of organizations looking to increase profit margins in tougher financial conditions.”  (Source-PRWeb)

These increases were all enacted last year, before the severity of the economy was fully appreciated. Expect to see further cost increases this year from the major manufacturers as they attempt to keep their revenues consistent with past years.

Cartridge sales are keeping some of these companies solvent. They have to continue to raise prices to keep their profit margin consistent.

CW San Diego pricing

Posted in: Conservation, Recycling, blog by Jack on 9 January 2009

We are able to offer refilled ink, remanufactured toner cartridges and compatibles at anywhere from 30-50% below retail prices for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridges.

We’re able to do this by recycling the outer cartridge shell, which we refer to as a core.

With the exception of compatible cartridges, when you buy a refilled/remanufactured cartridge from us, the only remaining original part of the cartridge is the core. Ink cartridges have had all the remaining ink flushed out and have been completely refilled to the original levels with ink specially formulated by our own technicians to match, as closely as legally possible, the ink used by the manufacturer. Laser cartridges are dismantled and all the worn interior blades, rollers and drum are replaced with quality third-party parts. All the original toner is cleaned out and replaced with toner which, like the ink we use, performs just as well as the original. All cartridges are then tested before being offered for sale and guaranteed once you purchase them.

By recycling the core, we are also able to keep thousands of empty cartridges from being sent to San Diego landfills. This has no impact on the cost of the cartridge, but has a profound impact on the quality of life in America’s Finest City.

When you purchase a cartridge from us without an exchange, we often have to add an additional fee to the price in order for us to buy another cartridge from a local wholesaler. This fee can run from $1 in the case of most inkjet cartridges to $10 for a few exotic laser cartridges. In some cases we are unable to get cartridges from wholesalers or through the recycling drives we sponsor in local schools, churches and community organizations. (Please contact us if you are interested in earning money for your school or organization by holding a cartridge recycling event.) This is another good reason for you to keep your empty cartridges and bring them with you when you shop with us. We may need to refill your empty cartridge if we don’t have any on hand.

Recently we had to raise the price of several cartridges by a dollar or so to cover increased ink, toner and parts costs. We regret this but the rising costs of goods is hitting all of us. We promise to always provide you with the best possible price while ensuring we make at least enough profit to stay in business.