Independent office products and supplies resellers have been on the defensive for a long time. Entrepreneurs who started 25-30 years ago as laser and then ink took over the office imaging industry, figuring out the only way to participate was to recover used toner and ink cartridges and then offer a value proposition based on refilled cartridges, which was the height of entrepreneurial spirit.
There's a preoccupation, almost an obsession, with e-commerce these days. Amazon is constantly in the news as it continues to set web traffic and sales records and finally make some money. Resellers are flocking to the platform to join their marketplace in a search for e-commerce after the widespread failure of their independent efforts. I, along with many others, have written numerous articles on e-commerce and its importance for the future survival of small independent resellers.
For veterans in the office supplies industry, patents and the potential for disputes have been a way of life for 25 years or more. I recall my first experiences in the early nineties and the steep learning curve that followed. Working for one of the more prominent aftermarket manufacturers, patents, and the potential for litigation became a daily concern.
Is the Amazon Marketplace a healthy business environment for resellers or not? This is an important question that needs to be addressed and better understood by all merchants, not just those involved in the office products and supplies vertical.
