We are looking for direct input from office technology dealers by asking you to take The Cannata Report’s confidential 41st Annual Dealer Survey. The first Survey was conducted in 1985, and from day one our focus has always been the dealer. We continue to share data, insights, and perspectives that help office technology dealers drive their businesses. We do the same for manufacturers and other vendor partners who take the data and insights collectively provided seriously, and with the same goal: to help dealers.
While AI provides access to tools and data that we didn’t have even just last year, it cannot replace what comes directly from the dealer. For more than four decades, our Survey has provided the independent dealer channel with an annual snapshot of who we are, where we stand, and where we are headed. I’d like to remind everyone that data shared in the Survey, including annual revenue information, is kept confidential. As we enter the final push to encourage dealers to complete the Survey before it closes in mid-July, I want to provide some context as to why your participation matters. The value of our Survey depends on your feedback.
The Survey provides office technology dealers with:
- National benchmarks for average dealer revenue.
- Insight into the industry’s most pressing concerns.
- Analysis of where dealers are being most affected.
- Identification of successful diversification strategies.
- Detailed reporting on revenue streams, including A3, A4, MPS, production printing, IT services, and other growth areas.
- Long-term trend analysis that helps dealers understand how their businesses compare to their peers.
TAKE THE 41st ANNUAL DEALER SURVEY
For years, our Survey has revealed important trends. Excluding the COVID period, average dealer revenue increased from approximately $14 million to $17 million before slipping to $16 million last year.
What will we learn in 2026 about the state of the office technology dealer channel?
Frankly, we believe average revenue may decline for reasons that include declining core business hardware and recurring revenue stream products, contraction, inflation, the declining or shifting workforce demand as a result of AI, and more. That said, all of this is common knowledge—but the real questions are by how much?” and “why?”
If enough independent, office technology dealers respond, we will gain a clearer and more accurate picture of what’s happening in the industry and can provide optimal insights. As part of that, we plan on increasing focus of the $40M revenue dealer and below. This will help us help you to determine what the majority of dealers truly represent in today’s marketplace.
That information matters. As a dealer, wouldn’t you want to know:
- How does your revenue compare with dealers like you?
- Are you above or below average?
- How successful are your peers at diversification?
- Which technologies and services are producing growth?
The Survey answers those questions—and many more. The reality is simple: If we can reach at least 300 responses—and ideally 350—we can continue producing meaningful trend analysis that benefits the entire independent dealer channel.
One area of particular importance is diversification. The Survey helps us measure the contributions of managed IT services, production printing, and other emerging revenue streams. It allows us to identify where office technology dealers are succeeding and where challenges remain.
Simply put, the more dealers who participate, the more valuable the Survey is for everyone.
If you are an independent dealer and have not yet completed the Survey, we strongly encourage you to do so.
Your participation helps us tell the industry’s story accurately—with the intention of providing data and insights uniquely valuable to your business. Completing this year’s Survey should take only about 15 minutes of your time.
All office technology dealers may participate in the Survey through Friday, July 17.
