A Good Year Ahead?
Distributors are at it again. The Top 100 distributors have increased sales by 12.5 percent to $2.16 billion.
Sales have not only increased, they have increased across the board. Forms sales, although they decreased as a percentage of overall revenue by 2 percent, actually increased by $51 million. Label sales increased by $28 million. Commercial printing sales increased by $67 million. Promotional product sales increased by $46 million. And, direct mail sales increased by $17 million.
Sales are up. Employment is also up by 22 percent. So what could there be standing in the way of new records for the coming year?
The economy? We don't think so. It is our opinion that the business community is simply following its normal cycle. Times get good, companies overemploy and make risky investments in technologies that show more promise than proof. Yes, the situation has been aggravated by the events of the past couple of months, but that will make the coming recovery more precipitous.
Businesses are trying to move products and services more urgently than ever. This makes the job of the distributor to facilitate that movement more important.
Now is a very good time for businesses to take advantage of distributors' ability to provide for all printed product needs from multiple resources.
Distributors have never been in a better position. They can offer multiple product lines from literally thousands of supplier sources to tailor specific programs to solve a client's product and budgetary needs.
All that remains is for distributors to convince the client of their capabilities.
Bill Drennan
Editorial Director