Cartridge World did not disappear in one worldwide shutdown. It started as a small Adelaide business refilling printer cartridges in 1988, grew into an international franchise brand, changed owners several times, and now runs as separate regional businesses with different footprints. The clearest recent change is the 2025 transfer of the Australia and New Zealand licence to Independent Ink Group. The available evidence does not establish a reliable, current worldwide store count, so any single location figure needs its date and source attached.
The timeline, year by year
Most of what is publicly known comes from the company’s own history page for Australia and New Zealand, which describes the group’s earlier years. The table below lists each step with the qualification it needs.
| Year | What the company describes | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Bryan Stokes starts the Australian Cartridge Company after learning to refill laser cartridges. The regional history says he began in his garden shed. (Our History) | Company account of its own origins. |
| 1992 | Stokes joins with Paul Wheeler, and they develop a franchise model. | Company account; no independent date check. |
| 1997 to 1999 | The first franchise opens in Adelaide in 1997. The business changes its name to Cartridge World in 1999 ahead of international growth. (Our History) | Company-reported dates. |
| 2000 to 2005 | The first international master franchise is established in New Zealand in 2000, the UK follows in 2001 and the US in 2003. The company says it celebrated its 1,000th store in Atlanta in 2005. (Our History) | The 1,000th store is a historical milestone, not a current count. |
| 2007 | Wolseley Private Equity buys the group, and headquarters moves from Adelaide to Emeryville, California. (Our History) | Ownership change at group level. |
| 2015 | Suzhou Goldengreen Technologies Ltd (SGT) buys the global group, and headquarters moves to Hong Kong. (Our History) | Ownership change at group level. |
| 2018 to 2020 | CWA Australia & NZ Pty buys the Australia and New Zealand licence in 2018. The regional history reports more than 130 franchises across the two countries in 2020. (Our History) | Regional licence change; 2020 figure is historical. |
| 2020s | Cartridge World USA says it has moved toward B2B contract sales, managed-print services and lower-overhead executive-office franchises as walk-in retail traffic declined. (Press Room) | Describes the US operation only. |
| 2025 | Independent Ink Group Pty Ltd buys the Australia and New Zealand licence, with its head office in Moorabbin, Victoria. (Our History) | A regional licence change, not a sale or closure of the global brand. |
Why there was no single shutdown
The question usually assumes one closure or bankruptcy that ended the brand everywhere. The sources reviewed do not describe that event. What they show is a set of separate companies and franchise networks, each with its own status. Each territory is worth looking at on its own.
The global brand
The global Cartridge World site still promotes a franchise network and describes the brand as a franchise business. (Cartridge World Brand) Group-level ownership is the part that has changed most. Under the company history, the group moved from Wolseley Private Equity in 2007 to SGT in 2015. Regional licences have changed on their own timelines.
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Australia and New Zealand
The Australian operator lists franchise opportunities and runs a store locator that shows individual locations with open or closed labels. (Franchise Opportunities; Store Locator) This is the territory where the 2025 licence change applies. Because the operator is now held under a different licence, anyone dealing with a local store should confirm which company stands behind it.
The United States
Cartridge World USA describes local printing services and business services on its contact page. (Contact and business services) Its press room describes the shift toward B2B and managed-print work. That account covers the US operation only. It should not be read as the model used everywhere else.
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The United Kingdom
The UK site continues to market original and own-brand ink and toner supplies that it describes as compatible with major printer brands. (Business Information About Cartridge World, UK) Check your printer model before you buy, because compatibility is the main practical question for any cartridge.
The UK company records, read carefully
The clearest sign of corporate change in the UK comes from Companies House, the official register for limited companies. Several entities carry the Cartridge World name, and each has a separate record. They should not be treated as one thing.
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| Registered entity | What the register shows | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Cartridge World (UK) Group Limited | Dissolved in 2018. | Company record |
| Cartridge World (East London) Limited | Filing history with recent filings. | Filing history |
| Cartridge World (Tufnell Park) Ltd | Active status. | Company record |
A dissolved parent company does not, on its own, show that every UK store closed or that the brand stopped trading. Each trading company has its own status, and the register is the place to check it.
Reading the footprint numbers
Several figures circulate online. Each one has a different scope and date, so none of them is a current worldwide total.
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| Figure | Scope | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000th store | Global, celebrated in Atlanta, as reported by the company | 2005 | Historical milestone |
| More than 130 franchises | Australia and New Zealand, per the regional history | 2020 | Historical, regional |
| 600 locations in 30 countries | Global, as stated on the brand’s franchise page | Not dated on the page | Brand-reported; not an independently verified current count |
The Australian store locator is useful for finding a specific store, but a listing does not establish how large the active network is. The open or closed label on a listing is also the most direct sign of whether a particular location is operating.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you rely on a Cartridge World store or service
If you buy refills, hold a prepaid balance, or have a managed-print contract, the practical question is who you are dealing with, not whether the brand still exists. These steps help you check.
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- Find the trading company’s name and region on your receipt, invoice, contract or account page. The name matters more than the brand.
- In Australia and New Zealand, search the store locator and note the open or closed label. Then phone the listed store before you travel or prepay.
- In the UK, search the company name on Companies House. If the company named on your paperwork is dissolved, ask the store in writing who now holds the business before you pay or prepay.
- For a US managed-print or contract arrangement, get written confirmation of who will service the contract and what happens if the local franchisee changes.
- Keep copies of any prepaid balance, gift card or service agreement, with the trading company’s name on each.
- Treat any store count on a website as a claim with a date attached. Ask for the date if it is missing.
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