Ricoh expands distribution

Ricoh is expanding its distribution network in order to make an impression on the expanding digital camera market.

The manufacturer - which consolidated its digital camera range with its digital media solutions product range in 2001 to form Ricoh EPMMC - hopes that, by increasing its distribution network to gain a wider range of resellers, it will gain a larger chunk of the market.

Dominic Wingent, Ricoh's national sales manager, said that while the company's cameras had a good brand name, with a number of computer original equipment manufacturers bundling the devices with their machines, consumer awareness was not so good.

"We want to promote our new camera range aggressively, and expanding our distributor network will help us achieve this," he said.

All Ricoh business partners will be supported by Ricoh's own internal marketing department and by its retained PR agency.

According to Lesley Ball, sales director of Computer Connections, one of Ricoh's current distributors, this service enhances the partnership.

"This marketing support is essential and it also helps the channel to sell in a professional way," she said.

Ricoh has also implemented a new returns policy in the UK and is continuing to offer telephone and email technical support, which it sees as giving its resellers a plus point with consumers.

Wingent said the company had already been talking to a number of potential distributors and would be making an announcement about new partnerships in July.