The company has released its financial results for the half year ended 30 September 2021.
Ricoh’s sales in the last six months has increased by 10.7% (to ¥843.4 billion ($7.43 billion/ €6.43 billion)) compared to the previous corresponding period. Although business activities were restricted by a number of external factors, including a decline in sales as well as suspension of production lines due to the resurgence of COVID-19 worldwide, shortage of containerships, and product supply constraints owing to a shortage of components, revenues increased compared to the first half of the previous fiscal year, when the expansion of COVID-19 led to a sharp decline in global economic activity.
Digital Services sales were ¥688.4 billion ($6.07 billion/ €5.25 billion) and increased by 11.2% as compared to the previous corresponding period. Sales in office services business increased as sales of packaging in Japan and Europe continued to be solid, whilst sales opportunities were negatively affected by shortage of components such as PCs and servers.
In office printing business, sales recovery of edge devices, such as MFPs (multifunctional printers) and laser printers, were slowed due to a shortage of materials, but sales of non-hardware recovered as a result of a return to offices due to the widespread use of vaccines.
Ricoh added that in Japan, sales have increased by 0.2% as compared to the previous corresponding period, sales in the Americas increased by 15.0%, sales in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa increased by 25.3% and sales in other regions were increased by 14.2%.
