Expect to see an increase in bespoke added value for closer customer relationships, says Andy McGuinness, Managing Director at SEDO
2024 was a strange year where there was a lot of uncertainty in the marketplace, rising interest rates and election chaos put a hold on capital expenditure. However, this actually meant there was a lot of printing happening and sales of media and ink sky rocketed, particularly the months preceding the election. Assets were sweated and we saw a 50% increase in ink sales from Q2 to Q3.
I’ve noticed a very interesting change in the marketplace towards the end of 2024 and those companies that seem to be bucking the trend and heavily investing are those that are adding higher value to their customers. Rather than the inevitable race to the bottom on pricing, they are concentrating on bespoke, interesting and innovative designs and installations for their customers. They are charging accordingly and by working more closely with their customers they are preventing them from shopping around. I have seen a rise in print companies becoming an extension of their customer’s marketing team, suggesting the best ways to promote their business with new materials, products and imagination – roller banners and 3×3 pops no longer cut it when your customer wants to stand out at an exhibition for example.
Alongside this value add proposition, I think manufacturers that concentrate on quality, high colour gamut and cost saving will be the big winners and without showing any bias(!) I think there are plenty of options to look at in 2025. Eco solvent and latex/resin printers are a mature market in terms of speed as there’s only so fast you can print before you can no longer dry the ink and why there’s a big push to add more colour channels plus white/varnish/metallic options.
2025 will be the year for print companies who think outside the box, offer more innovative products to their customers and invest in the latest technology. A good customer of mine says “if you don’t innovate, you’ll evaporate”.
Wishing everyone in print a Merry Christmas and fantastic 2025.
UK’s first Vanguard printer installed at Guardian Display by SEDO