Quick and Small Commercial Printers Report Released
Nearly 70 percent of the quick and small commercial printers surveyed expect sales to grow in 2011, while only 7 percent expected them to decrease, according to the just released inaugural issue of the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) Quick and Small Commercial Printers Trends Report.
The new report, which is sponsored by Xerox, also revealed that more than half (55.3 percent) of those surveyed had enjoyed sales growth last year-with sales up at least 10 percent for 26 percent and at least 5 percent for 42.1 percent -although there was a wide gulf between the top 20 percent, for whom sales grew 11.4 percent, and the bottom 20 percent, who saw sales decline 7.1 percent. Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed were independents; 13 percent, franchise owners.
"Companies that are growing are creating their own growth, not growing with the market," noted report authors Andrew Paparozzi, NAPL Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, and Joseph Vincenzino, Senior Economist. "They recognize that there is plenty of opportunity-just not in the same old places or by doing the same old things."
According to the report, the optimism over sales was being tempered by concern over a number of issues, most notably the still shaky economy and rising costs-while nearly 61% of those surveyed expect sales to increase over the next six months, almost 46% also expect to have to raise prices during that period. Inconsistent sales-up one month; down the next-was a major issue for some respondents, while others pointed to increasing costs for consumables and business expenses.
"The most frequently cited issue, by a wide margin, was an inconsistent, weak recovery that is not generating enough sales growth," said Paparozzi and Vincenzino. "Cost inflation, including the rising costs of doing business-increases for healthcare, taxes, and expenses related to new government regulations-is also of great concern."
The March report also provides data on owner compensation and key indicators-for example, sales per employee, sales per payroll hour, and receivables collection, as well as employment and payroll hours expectations, biggest service opportunities, and steps companies are taking in response to key issues they face.
The quarterly NAPL Quick and Small Commercial Printers Trends Report, to be issued electronically to NAPL corporate members in March, June, September, and December 2011, will provide updates on the performance, expectations, and defining issues of this important industry segment. For more information, contact Vincenzino at (800) 642-6275, Ext. 6303, or jvincenzino@napl.org.
For more information, visit www.napl.org.
- Companies:
- Xerox Corp.