Copy shops, printers, and signage companies using Wholesale Print gain access to print capabilities they don’t have. It allows them to say, “Yes,” to their customers for jobs they can’t complete themselves.
Put simply, Wholesale print offers cheap trade prices by optimising a comprehensive range of products, print technologies, and workflow.
Cade Ogle, general manager at Wholesale Print, says that price and speed are the most important attributes but customers quickly appreciate the ease of transacting with Wholesale Print. He says“It is price, speed and ease”.
The company provides wholesale access to traditional offset, toner based digital solutions as well as high speed inkjet. Trade customers sometimes sign up for one particular print capability but end up using all of the technologies.
He says, “High speed inkjet frequently provides the perfect solution and creates a point of difference for the trade customer that they may not have considered before.”
The company backs its reputation for reliability with a real guarantee.
Ogle says, “If we say Friday and you don’t get it on Friday, then you get a full credit. More than 99 per cent of all orders are on time or earlier.
“We completed extensive market research before we launched and we found one of the big bugbears was late delivery. The customers said, ‘If we agreed Friday, make sure it is Friday.’”
To aid its customers Wholesale Print also provides free unbranded samples allowing its customers to easily manage the sales process with their customers.
We recognise that print is coming though all sorts of channels so simplicity of transaction is important. We bring a robustness of transaction and we take the risk factor out of the whole experience for the trade customer, so their customers get better service too.”
Software backs service
The backbone of Wholesale Print’s capability, is a massively sophisticated software system. This system handles the transaction; powers the company’s manufacturing hub; and provides a live job tracking and re-order management system.
Ogle says, “We can make the on time delivery promise because we have designed a system that can achieve that every time. I have never seen a more sophisticated software system for e-commerce and print anywhere in the world. It is incredibly powerful and, for our customers, that equals ease of use.
“We could talk for hours on why our system is so easy but that would be boring. You upload your file and we take it from there. Simple as that.
“We know that some print orders would not go to print at all without our system. There is frequently the perception that print is hard and delivery is not always reliable. Some trade customers have told us that they previously tried to take print orders but had been caught out too many times. We love to change that for them and add a service and revenue stream that makes so much sense for their business and their customers.”
As a silent partner in the printing transaction, Wholesale Print largely retains its anonymity. Ogle says, “We are the invisible back office fulfilment. The trade customer does not use our name and we do not supply direct to end users.”
Before using Wholesale Print, many of its trade clients would routinely turn down work they couldn’t complete, even from regular customers. Cade Ogle says, “In this day and age, no one can afford to turn work away. But when I hear that, it tells me, that for them, the alternative was too hard.
“This provides a revenue stream that naturally complements their business, even for a jobbing shop printer that uses it. For example, they might not do spot UV, so it is more efficient to take that work out, rather than tie their presses up with small jobs.”
He also points out that the end customer has little interest in the actual printing process. it doesn’t matter to them about the type of machie the printer uses to produce the print. He says, “The printing is just a widget. It just needs to be done.
“You wouldn’t go to restaurant and hear the chef tell you what a great oven he has. It doesn’t matter what they say; what matters is you get the meal that you ordered.
“It’s the same with print: what matters is that everyone’s expectations are either met or exceeded.”
