The cooperation with Amazon has developed very successful since the start of the year. Many Geha home & office products top the bestseller lists. To enable consumers to navigate the extensive range more easily and find the correct product more quickly, the Geha brand shop is set up together with Amazon.
More and more Etail retailers recognise the great marketing potential of the Geha products over the Internet and become major distributors.
The e-commerce business is becoming increasingly important for Geha. eBay and Geha enter into a partnership to market the home & office products. A sale service provider takes over the distribution and processing of orders from the specially designed Geha brand shop.
Geha develops a completely new range – including packaging design – of shredders and laminators for the home and office market.
Geha develops a campaign involving travel vouchers, which are glued to selected Geha products.
When redeeming the voucher at the weg.de travel portal, consumers receive a €25 discount.
To boost customer and brand loyalty, Geha develops the ink loyalty card – retailers give card holders every sixth cartridge free of charge.
Geha develops a money-back campaign where consumers get a €5 refund for every Geha product purchased during the campaign period.
In order to keep up with the steady growth in sales, the production of ink and toner cartridges needs to be expanded significantly.
German Hardcopy AG decides to implement this expansion at their Odzak location (Bosnia) with 70 new members of staff and inaugurates its new plant in November 2006.
Major customers such as real (350 outlets) and Plus (3,000 outlets) fit out their stores with Geha products.
Collection boxes for the free return of empty ink and toner cartridges are installed in many shops. Even schools are collecting empties. The “Squiddy” empties concept, which was developed specifically for schools, is supported by the then Minister of the Environment Sigmar Gabriel. Further fundraising campaigns are supported by prominent sponsors:
Barbara Becker teams up with Dolphin Aid to support the charity collection scheme.
To meet the growing demand for inexpensive printer supplies for the price-sensitive e-commerce and discount channels, the German Hardcopy AG develops the entry-level iCHANGE brand.
The German Hardcopy AG enters into a European partnership with Emtec International in Paris in order to design and produce an attractive hardcopy product range for the entire Emtec Group in Europe.
Distribution is channelled through all national Emtec companies in Europe – in Germany, through German Hardcopy AG exclusively.
Stefan Raab’s Wok World Championships are held for the first time held in Winterberg in the Sauerland region.
Geha is the Mayn sponsor and competes with its own team (including Lucy from the band No Angels).
Many customers and suppliers attend the event and spend an unforgettable evening with Geha at the Bobhaus restaurant.
The collaboration with retailers in consumer electronics is developed successfully. Cooperation agreements are entered into with all the major purchasing associations.
German Hardcopy gets the brand rights of the well-known computer brand Boeder to introduce ist as a secondary brand into the price entry market. As the first biggest customer Media-Saturn (MSH group) can be attained for the Boeder assortment.
Due to the strong growth, the company moves into larger premises.
Covering 1,350 sqm of office space and 5,000 sqm of storage space with the latest pick-by-light order picking facility, 75 employees ensure that the Geha business runs smoothly.
The growing international customer base demands a bigger booth. Geha presents themselves with a 250 qm booth at Cebit Hannover.
The whole Geha Team sails from Kiel to Denmark.
The many positive test results have an impact: Major customers such as McPaper (380 outlets) and Fotopoint (350 outlets) fit out their stores nationwide with Geha display units.
The secret of Geha’s success lies not only in the products but also in the concepts. Geha develops innovative brochures and display units for the trade.
The in-house advertising department, G-Motion, developed more creative communication concepts directed to the trade, e.g. the GRÜNZONE (Green Zone) customer magazine and customised Maylshots.
Geha ink cartridges celebrate outstanding success in the Computerbild test: 5 x test winner and 5 x winner in the value-for-money category
The first positive test results.
The German Hardcopy AG presents Geha products to an international audience for the first time.
To stand out from the image conveyed by the competition, a completely new brand identity in lime green is developed.
Kick-off The Geha brand is one of the best-known office supply brands in Germany and its neighbouring countries. Under its newly introduced brand name Geha, the printer accessories market is offered an affordable alternative to products from the original manufacturers.
On 13 October 1999, the German Hardcopy AG is founded, headed by Michael Marx, Michael Zulauf and Tom Schröder in Brilon in the Hochsauerlandkreis region.
