No matter what business we are in we need to maintain as high a profit margin as possible. For retail business this isn't always easy of course but we all do our best to identify areas in which we can save money. But one area which is often overlooked when we are looking to control our budgets is what we spend on consumable products. Supplies that we use on a daily basis such as till rolls and ink ribbons can add up to a hefty cost over the course of a year if we aren't prudent about picking the right price and supplier for those products.



Till rolls are, of course, necessary for any business that offers goods and services to the public. Unfortunately, businesses often spend more than necessary on till roll paper and related supplies, and since these are consumable items, the cost can begin to add up quickly. If you need to cut costs to increase the profitability of your business, choosing the right till roll paper can help you achieve this goal.

The obvious first step is to find a supplier who is able to supply the products at a competitive price. Remember that supplier pricing may not be consistent across all product lines. In practical terms, this means you should comparison shop for companies that offer competitive pricing on the types of till rolls that you use most frequently. Company A might offer a better deal on single-ply till rolls, whereas Company B might have more competitive pricing on double-ply till rolls. Choosing a supplier that offers the best pricing on the products you use most frequently will maximize your savings.

Finding a supplier who offers the most competitive pricing, and don't forget to factor delivery costs into the calculation, is the first step but then you will want to compare the different till rolls performance as well as their cost. The least expensive option is economy paper single-ply till rolls. Grade A paper is brighter than the standard off-white economy paper, but isn't necessarily more expensive. This is the best option if you don't require carbon copies of printed receipts.

Many cash registers can quite happily print duplicate receipts. When it is necessary to produce more than one copy of a transaction (some retailers like to keep actual copies of a receipt as well as providing one for the customer) the retailer will need to consider the cost of single ply paper compared to the more efficient multi-ply paper. Multi-ply paper, most often double or triple ply, also saves money by saving time and conserving the printer ink ribbon. It's up to you to compare costs and decide whether single or multi-ply till roll paper is best for your needs.

Other till roll options include thermal and impact action paper rolls. Chip and pin machines in retail premises are the biggest users of thermal till rolls. Impact action paper is a type of carbonless paper also used in chip and pin systems that eliminates the need for ink printing ribbons, since the printed images are produced by the impact of the printing pins on the paper.

By considering the budget given to buying consumable products and finding some savings in that area the bottom line profit of the business can be increased. By taking stock of your needs for till roll paper and related supplies, and by carefully choosing a supplier that offers competitive pricing, you can save a significant amount of money in your day-to-day business operations.