How a multi location retailer standardized copiers across twenty five stores

A specialty retailer operating 25 stores across northern Spain had reached the point where every store had a different copier, supplier and contract. Sixteen months of standardisation work produced one device per store, one contract, one support number, and a 28% reduction in per store print cost.

The retail chain context

The retailer operates branded stores in mid sized cities and shopping centres across Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, La Rioja and Aragón. Each store has between four and eight staff, with a manager, a back office for stock and accounts, and front of house sales staff. Each store prints daily: dispatch labels, receipts, internal stock counts, supplier returns paperwork, and rota schedules. Monthly volumes per store range from 800 to 2,400 pages, with very low colour share.

The fleet had grown organically as new stores opened. The procurement decision sat with each store manager at opening time. Different managers chose different brands at different price points with different service arrangements. By 2024 the fleet included 25 devices across 9 brands and 14 distinct models, with 18 separate supplier relationships.

The case for standardisation

The finance director triggered the project after a December reconciliation exercise revealed that 25 stores were producing 18 different print invoices, with monthly per page costs ranging from 0.014 to 0.046 euros. Some stores were paying for monthly minimums they never reached. Others were paying excess page surcharges at multiples of the contracted rate. Five stores held no service contract at all and called local technicians ad hoc, with no record kept centrally.

The standardisation framework

The chain established a single model: one A4 colour MFP per store, on a single managed print services contract with one supplier covering all 25 sites. Three reasons drove the choice. First, a single supplier with national coverage absorbed travel cost into the service contract rather than adding it per call. Second, a single device model across all 25 stores meant one driver, one configuration template, and one set of consumables to stock centrally. Third, the volume across 25 stores produced procurement leverage that no individual store could have generated.

The eight step rollout

What head office takes off store managers

The biggest non monetary win for store managers was time. Each manager had previously been responsible for ordering toner, scheduling service calls and reconciling supplier invoices for their store. The standardised framework moves all three to head office.

Store managers now interact with the print fleet only at install, when consumables arrive, and on the rare service call. Total store level time spent on print operations fell from approximately 2 hours per month to under 15 minutes.

Where the saving came from

The 28% reduction in per store print cost breaks down across five lines. Each contributed differently to the total.

What did not go smoothly

Three issues surfaced and warrant noting for similar multi site rollouts.

One store had a non standard layout

The Jaca store occupies an unusual heritage building with limited space at the back office. The standard device did not fit; the installation team measured the space twice before specifying an A4 colour MFP with a single tray configuration (the standard ships with a 2 tray configuration). One store specific deviation in 25 was acceptable.

Two regional managers resisted the central stock model

Two regional managers initially insisted on holding local toner reserves at store level, citing past supply issues. The first quarter of auto replenishment ran cleanly enough that both stood down. Future rollouts plan to include a one quarter pilot to address this objection upfront.

One store had a contract notice period mismatch

The Logroño store's incumbent contract carried a six month notice clause. Termination required a 1,400 euro buyout, paid by the new MPS provider as part of the framework deal. This kind of issue is normal in multi site rollouts and worth flagging during the RFP.