Ricoh’s sales in the first nine months of the fiscal year rose by 19.8% to ¥1,528.6 billion ($A16.75bn) and gross profit increased by 16.7% pcp to ¥538.8 billion ($A5.9bn). The company’s Graphic Communications business, which includes Commercial and Industrial Printing, recorded a sales increase of 25% (9.8% excluding foreign currency exchange fluctuations).
Ricoh Pro TF6251 flatbed LED UV printer
“The world economy resumed its economic activities compared to the previous corresponding period, when had been greatly affected by the expansion of COVID-19 infection,” Ricoh said.
“During this period, the number of people infected with COVID-19 reached a record high in Japan. Although the number of people infected with COVID-19 has been decreasing and increasing repeatedly since then, economic activities are resuming due to the relaxation of restrictions.
“On the other hand, prices have been rising due to higher raw material prices and the depreciation of the yen. In the U.S., prices and wages have risen, and the monetary authorities have tightened policies to calm inflation, and GDP was negative temporarily, but the economy has since returned to a recovery trend.
"In Europe, due to the prolonged Russia/Ukraine situation and the deterioration of relations with Russia, price increases have spread to a wide range of items due to the soaring energy and food prices, and the impact on the economy is becoming apparent.
“In other regions, China's lockdown caused by the zero-COVID policy has brought a halt to economic activity, and the subsequent rapid expansion of COVID-19 due to the lifting of the zero-COVID policy has affected the economy and society.”
Review by Business Segment:
Graphic Communications [includes commercial printing and industrial printing]
Graphic Communications sales were ¥169.5 billion and increased by 25.1% (an increase of 9.8% excluding foreign currency exchange fluctuations) as compared to the previous corresponding period. In the commercial printing business, sales increased as economic activities recovered in Europe and the Americas.
Despite the impact of material shortages, sales of production printers increased as we worked to secure production volumes, including procuring alternative components from the market. Sales of non-hardware continued to recover, and it almost backed to the level before the spread of COVID-19 infection.
In the industrial printing business [includes wide format printers, inkjet printheads and DTG printers], sales increased despite the impact of lockdown in the mainstay Chinese market.
In the commercial printing business, although profits were squeezed due to increased costs by procuring alternative components from the market, improvements in development, production, and service activities and the depreciation of the yen contributed to generate profit.
As a result, Graphic Communications operating profit was ¥10.0 billion and increased by ¥8.1 billion as compared to the previous corresponding period.
In September 2022, IVE Group, the region’s largest printer, chose Ricoh Australia as its preferred digital print partner, installing six Ricoh Pro C9210 digital production presses and two Ricoh Pro C7210X models.
