DATA DIRECT
percentage of buyers that are purely price orientated, but with many customers you build trust by being in the market for 30 years and employing people who’ve been in the industry for 30 years.” Sustainability Peter adds that Data Direct is also leading with its commitment to sustainability. The company has long known that it isn’t just a tick-box – when pitching for contracts sustainability policies can make up to 30% of the weighting these days – and is doing what it can to minimise its carbon footprint, with supplying sustainable products and using sustainable working practices. “Of course, there are things that we can’t negate,” admits Peter. “We can’t get away from the fact that we have to ship some products from Asia, but we are doing forestation programmes such as EverTreen to offset the carbon it creates.
“It’s new technology, therefore it’s expensive, but it’s the right thing to do. And as one company brings it to the fore, more companies will jump onto it and it’ll become more the norm. Everybody is trying to avoid single use plastics wherever they can, so this could be a growth area in years to come.” Hopes for growth Indeed, Peter is optimistic that sector itself will grow in the coming years. “The markets that we’re in, particularly in the copy market, we bring high quality compatible products that make real savings for dealers, which means that they can trim their cloth, make a margin on it and still make savings for their customers,” he says. “We’re optimistic over the next couple of years that the range and scale of products that we offer will grow. There’ll be more demand for our kind of products and services, such as virtual shipping. People want to cut back on their own warehousing, staff, distribution and all the stuff that goes with it, but we can help customers with that. “We’re optimistic about where we’re going. We have spent 30 years trying to get it right, and certainly the next 12-18 months we’re optimistic for growth in just becoming better and better in serving our market. Without doubt, print volumes are reducing so what we set our stall out to do is be is better and better at the niche that we’re serving and keep adding on the value and adjusting to what our customers are looking for and expanding our market share. “Again, that comes back to investing in the field presence, not cutting back on it. Our people are out there talking to the dealers, seeing what they’re doing and we response quickly to changes in the market.”
We have spent 30 years trying to get it right, and certainly the next 12-18 months we’re optimistic for growth in just becoming better and better in serving our market. “ ”
That’s the balance we try to achieve.” There is also increasing demand for
sustainable products from customers, along with an acceptance that it may mean paying a little more for them, according to Peter. “People are much more conscious about the environment and are willing to pay the price to do the right thing, and to pay a little bit more for it. The big buyers are much more conscious now of the CSR values of what they’re buying. This means that price in some of those conversations is disappearing.” Peter adds that there are an increasing number of sustainable products the company is selling, such as biodegradable cartridges from brands such as Pelikan. “People want to hear about this stuff and they’re willing to pay a little bit more money to cover the investment in producing it,” Peter says.
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