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The Origin of the R-Series Printers
Defining a new market segment
This month's Argox Barcode News discusses how Argox evolved from "me-too" products to defining a new market segment in the fourteenth installment of the Story of Argox. This newsletter also reviews the Singapore RITE2005 and talks about market insights from the show.
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 Retail Industry Trade Event, Singapore |
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| At September's Retail Industry Trade Event (RITE2005) in Singapore, Argox met with old friends and new friends from Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and other places in the region. One thing we noticed was the return of many big manufacturers to this show. Singapore's RITE has become "the place to be" for many companies, as it has for Argox. This is the place for seeking future opportunities and watching new market developments. For next year, Argox is already considering enlarging our presence and investment at the show, and cooperating on joint promotions with our partners. We're already looking forward to RITE2006. |
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| Market Insight - Southeast Asia |
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| The market for entry-level and mid-level AIDC products is growing quickly in Southeast Asia. At the RITE show in Singapore Argox saw many new types of customers, including end-users who produce shoes, clothing, groceries, toys, and many other products. These customers are interested in cost-effective solutions for their businesses.
In the past, the primary customers for AIDC products in Southeast Asia were the multinationals and their foreign-invested enterprises that required high-end products for industrial applications. In recent years, these enterprises have moved their investments to China, so demand for high-end AIDC products has dropped in the region. However, local small and mid-size enterprises in Southeast Asia are adopting AIDC in growing numbers and the demand for reasonably priced products is increasing. Argox has followed this growth over the past nine years, and we expect it to continue.
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This section features the people at Argox. You may see a familiar face from an exhibition or a road show, or you might see a name you recognize from an email. We offer these brief introductions to help you know us better.
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| Candi: Europe account manager |
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I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, who takes me to work and picks me up everyday, rain or shine. |
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I love to sing all types songs - old songs, new songs, love songs, even rock & roll songs. If you don't believe me, come to our year end party and check it out. |
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When I laugh it sounds like popcorn popping. If you hear it you know I'm around, and I hope you feel as happy as I do. |
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| Joy: Europe account manager |
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I'm 14 weeks pregnant and cheerfully looking forward to the day my little one is born. |
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I have an 8 year-old daughter. When I go home in the evening I help her go over her homework. My homework is to make sure she has sweet dreams. |
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I can fall asleep in an instant. Not many people can do that in our fast-paced world, but it's easy for me. |
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| Amanda: Europe account manager |
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On weekends my favorite leisure activities are staying home and resting in bed, browsing the internet, and reading books. |
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My mother still treats me like a child. She calls me twice a day to tell me to take care of my health. |
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I'm like the girl in the French movie "Amelie". If you catch me smiling to myself, I'm only daydreaming. Please don't interrupt. |
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| INVEX, Czech Republic |
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From October 24~27 Argox will display its line of products at the INVEX show held at Brno Exhibition Centre in the Czech Republic. We look forward to meeting current and future customers. Please stop by and say hello if you are in the Czech Republic for the INVEX show. Our Booth No is 12, Hall E.
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| The Story of Argox (part 14) |
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| After Argox was established it went through a valuable learning phase. From 1996 to 2000 the company produced barcode printers that were essentially "me-too" products. The only competitive advantages the company held were price, fast support, and time-to-market. There was little innovation in the actual product. But Argox learned quickly and saw new opportunities.
The market at that time consisted of two segments: heavy-duty industrial printers that could print 20,000 to 30,000 labels per day, and light-duty micro printers that could print 1,000 to 3,000 labels per day. The industrial printers had a 25 year history and provided a stable market for producers, while the micro printers were relatively new with a 10 year history and fast volume growth.
Argox began listening to customers and end-users, and many were saying that industrial printers were too expensive with a large print capacity that wasn't required. They also needed a printer that could produce more than 3,000 labels per day, but at a reasonable cost.
Argox accepted the challenge and developed the R-Series medium-duty barcode printers. The R-Series are light, durable, and can meet industrial standards for quality, capacity, and performance, yet at a reasonable cost. As a result Argox defined the market segment for medium-duty barcode printers that can print 10,000 labels per day.
Highlighting the success of the R-Series is the fact that Argox's new product innovation was soon copied by the competition.
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