After 38 years, The Cannata Report’s Annual Dealer Survey keeps rolling along, yielding valuable insights into the status of the office technology dealer channel and the performance of the OEMs that supply the channel with products and services.
I don’t want to give too much away before you read the 38th Annual Dealer Survey results later in this issue, but I am happy to say that despite some serious challenges over the past three years, most office technology dealers are doing just fine. What’s especially impressive about this year’s Survey is the number of respondents—458—the most ever in the Survey’s history. Based on industry projections on the number of independent dealers, that’s likely close to one-third of the total dealer population.
It will be interesting to see if those numbers hold steady in future Surveys, especially as acquisitions accelerate after a decline during the COVID-19 years of 2020 and 2021. One might think that as more dealers are acquired, the number of respondents for the Annual Dealer Survey would decline. We fully expect that to happen eventually, but as long as most OEMs and other companies such as LEAF Commercial Capital encourage dealers to participate in our 38th Annual Dealer Survey, their efforts will continue to make a difference in terms of the number of Survey respondents. While we are on the topic of acquisitions, be sure and read the acquisitions section of the Survey to see how that’s changed since our previous Survey.
I also encourage you to closely read the entire 38th Annual Dealer Survey, getting inside the numbers, and gaining a better understanding of how your dealership compares to its peers across the industry. Over the years, many dealers have told us this information has been particularly helpful. The Survey also monitors the trends impacting the office technology dealer channel, and one of the key trends that we are monitoring at The Cannata Report is how dealers are diversifying. As you will see in our Survey, there are a few emerging products and services gaining traction in the channel.
Look for Part 2 of our 38th Annual Dealer Survey in next month’s issue where we reveal dealers’ biggest concerns and their ratings of their A3 and A4 suppliers, production print, and software providers, as well as their leasing partners.
