2023 State of Trade Print
This State of Print series will highlight and cover various printing industry topics as we enter 2023. The rate of change in the print industry regarding the future of printing technology, business practices, and customer demand is growing. The landscape of the print industry already looks vastly different from just a few years ago. Printing industry experts and sales leaders of BR Printers, Bog Durgy and Steve Duvanich, will dive into hot topics ranging from educational and trade printing demand conditions to digital printing technology, to empower our clients and peers with ideas to assist in adapting to this changing market. Discussion Topic: Publisher Demand Conditions Discussion Question: Any predictions or forecasting for what our industry should expect in demand shifts or sectors of print?
Insights
“Publisher demand conditions vary by the market served. So, certain segments of the market appear to be softening, such as trade. There are other sectors of print like education, which are going to remain strong. Trade print appears to be softening compared to the pandemic. During the pandemic, people are staying at home, reading a lot, and marketers capitalized on increasing direct mail campaigns. So, trade now has softened a little bit, industry predictions are that trade volumes are going to be down from the last few years. However, they’ll still be up over pre-pandemic levels, right? Trade production may be down in 2023 compared to the last couple of years because of the enormous spike. That said, we’re still up over pre-pandemic on trade print.”
Steve Duvanich
Director, Enterprise Sales
“I expect to see some decrease in the trade market as we head into Q1 of 2023. The best indicator we have seen so far is Amazon. At the end of the third quarter, they reached out to publisher distributors, and they placed their orders for the fourth quarter which includes the anticipation of holiday demand. It was light. And, in some cases, non-existent and it set off a big shock wave in the publishing community. Much lighter than 2022 or the year before. It’s an indicator that there is plenty of stock already and that they don’t expect demand to be anything they can’t handle. Now that’s not necessarily the end of the world, it just means they have outpaced the spiked demand over the Covid years. Their demand is still light now as we close out 2022, and light doesn’t always hurt. As digital book printers, we stay nimble in being able to adapt to shorter runs, print closer to demand, and reduce the burden of carrying big inventory.”
Bob Durgy
SVP of Business Development
About BR Printers
BR Printers started as an educational and trade printer in San Jose, CA but now we’ve diversified our capabilites and national footprint. We’re happy to be based in San Jose, CA with facilities in San Diego, CA, Denver, CO, Appleton, WI, Cincinnati, OH, and Independence, KY, BR is now a provider of high quality large format printing, commercial printing, labels, marketing, value chain, and logistics management to marketers and the publishing industry’s most recognizable names. BR’s national footprint in the United States, combined with a solution-centric focus, allows it to leverage data and print technology while maintaining an appreciation and respect for traditional print craftsmanship.