01732 759725 48 Q&A View from the channel Q: How’s business; better or worse than 12 months ago? And how confident are you about the future? A: Business is steady, we are growing our base monthly, which is always a good sign that there is growing confidence and people are returning to the office. I do feel that no two months are the same and that there is no consistency in buying trends currently. This could be down to factors like home working, the changing economic conditions or the developments in digital document management solutions as the priorities and requirements for office equipment like photocopiers and printers change from one month to another. Q: In what areas are you experiencing strongest demand? A: We have seen greater demand for the A4 colour MFDs recently. Traditional A3 users are seeing budgets being squeezed and that their actual A3 volumes are so low, now, that there is no justification in having A3 devices. We also notice customers are looking to extend current equipment contracts due to reduced volumes during COVID lockdowns, home working etc. With stock issues in the channel over the last couple of years, this has been a good way of retaining customers who would probably shop around for new deals. We have been very fortunate in that we have been able to source new equipment with minimal waiting times in the main. Develop have been, and continue to be, a brilliant partner to our business. Q: How have you changed/are you changing business operations to exploit new opportunities? A: Ar Graff Cymru is run by myself and my wife, Nicky. We have diversified from just being a copier supplier to being a general office supplies business over the last few years. During COVID we were being asked to supply things that we would not have considered before. This got to a point where we decided to start a sister business to Ar Graff Cymru called AGC Business Supplies. This is very much Nicky’s domain, and it is growing very well. As a result, we opened our second office in the wonderful M-Sparc Science Park on Anglesey earlier this year. We are a one-stop-shop for many of our customers and we are always looking to add to our AGC offering. We just hate saying no when customers ask us for something. Q: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing channel businesses today? A: The internet and online shopping have been and continue to be huge threats to the channel. However, one thing that has become clear to me, over Arwel Griffiths, Managing Director, Ar Graff Cymru the last couple of challenging years, is that customers continue to value good local service above all. In part, this is why we have AGC Business Supplies. Certain customers just need small low-end equipment which they can easily purchase online. We offer this but with the option of a professional delivery and setup service. This proved very popular during COVID and enabled us to keep our engineers busy. Availability of stock and price point are the obvious issues also facing the channel. Q: Could vendors and distributors do more to help you overcome them? And if so, what? A: We are very fortunate in that our main supplier is wonderful to work with. We work closely with them to promote the products which are available whenever there are shortages. In general terms going forward, I think that all vendors/ suppliers need to look at their own stock situations and be open with their dealers about availability. This is just as important to the consumable market too. Toner and spare parts supply needs to be addressed and returned to pre-COVID levels. The world is a volatile place currently with many challenges, and being honest about availability is key. Q: If you could change one aspect of your job what would it be and why? A: I love what I do and the way we do it, to be honest. We are very focused on providing an excellent local bilingual offering to our customers in Wales. We have created a very laid-back working environment and are looking to grow the workforce. One aspect I would change is probably to make more time for me to spend on my bike! Arwel Griffiths www.argraffcymru.com
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