It’s almost never too soon to start thinking about Christmas, and after another economically challenging year, it’s the period when we hope to make good. The trade printers have already been thinking about it, and have plenty of suggestions.

There is a wide range of products available, from the more obvious staple seasonal items like wrapping paper, cards and calendars to gifts of all kinds, such as snow globes, baubles and gift boxes. Craig Stark at Tradeprint observes, ‘As the holiday season approaches, we witness a significant uptake in the demand for ceramic mugs, coasters, photo calendars, personalised apparel, cushions, and more,’ noting that the company’s recently-launched Online Designer with 3D preview helps customers to check their uploaded artwork will produce the desired product, in addition to the existing automated 40-point artwork check.

Tradeprint has also moved into personalised packaging in a big way, offering an expanded range of products that includes personalised shipping and mailer boxes, custom gift boxes, and bottle boxes. These can be combined with custom packaging tape and sticker products for more complete personalised offerings and suggests that discount offers or even mini catalogues can be included in the box; the company also offers a range of ‘extremely competitively’ priced large for at signage and display products, which it says were very popular last Christmas, perhaps reflecting a return to normality in public events and activities after the Covid restriction period.

Gary Peeling, CEO at Where The Trade Buys (WTTB) reports that ‘Notebooks, mindfulness journals and even diaries are back in fashion. With that in mind we will have a new range with pre-printed stock blocks and proper sewn binding, perfect for brands who want to engage with their customers.’

Not your typical Christmas stocking – custom tote bags are within WTTB’s gift

WTTB has also added garments such as hoodies via a new apparel range which can be personalised and could be adapted for events such as Christmas Jumper Day or as branded wear for fundraising events in the run-up to the festive season. Likewise, there are branded aprons on offer and Mr Peeling notes that personalised Advent calendars are as popular with adults as with children.

Leicester-based Flexpress mainly sells Christmas cards and calendars but also offers gift tags, wine boxes and wrapping paper. MD Steve Wenlock says, ‘We’re not planning to add anything new this year, but we’ll probably look to include some fighting lines in our Super Saver range.’

It’s a similar story at Rotherham’s Route 1, where the company’s Macauley Hardeman says, ‘We have made the strategic decision to prioritise our core products, namely greetings cards and calendars, and refrain from expanding our print portfolio this year. Our goal is to solidify our position as market leaders in these key product categories by delivering unparalleled quality and efficient turnarounds.’

Whether their Christmas ranges are being expanded or not, all four have continued to invest in equipment and software to maximise their productivity and efficiency in order to offer competitive pricing and reliable turnaround times. Flexpress has added a Duplo booklet-making machine and three-knife trimmer, plus a big software investment in Rip, imposition and workflow. Route 1 has got its Landa S10P press into full-time production, supported by two new Multigraf Touchline TCF375 creaser/folders and another Autobond Mini laminator.

WTTB has a £1.6 million automated binding line being installed as this article was written, following on from the garment investment in a DTFMagic Pro 60 direct-to-film printer earlier in the year. Tradeprint had a major investment period in 2022 with the addition of a Canon VarioPrint iX3200 sheet-fed digital press and a Heidelberg XL106 LED UV offset press, which respectively have reduced minimum order quantities and turnaround times.

The power of print

But it’s not just about what your customers buy, it’s about what you can sell, and the argument is put succinctly by Mr Wenlock: ‘Most businesses tend to see marketing as a cost rather than an investment so cut back on it, at the time they need it most. As a response we’ll be adding products to our Super Saver range to try to help our clients be able to offer a high-quality, low-cost option.’

However, Mr Peeling points out that ‘Digital marketing costs have increased so both hospitality and retail need to find tangible ways to attract customers at what should be their most profitable time of year. Display and print marketing not only offers great value but will also help drive return.’

Mr Hardeman echoes this theme, saying, ‘Print marketing… becomes especially relevant during Christmas, the most heavily marketed time of the year. In a digital age, print materials can evoke emotions, provide a tactile experience, and stand out from digital clutter,’ while Mr Stark points out that print can be used to support an online presence:

‘Printed advertisements, such as flyers, posters, and banners, can be powerful tools in promoting your website or social media pages. These tangible materials can attract potential customers and drive traffic to your online platforms.’

Other advice revolves around carefully targeted and simple-to-follow offers. Mr Wenlock advocates, ‘sell print as an investment as opposed to an expense. Use every opportunity to deliver proof of concept,’ citing Flexpress’s free raised spot UV and raised foiling sampling service as ways to do that. Mr Stark suggests that consolidating purchasing via a single supplier will streamline procurement, always helpful if and when the desired Christmas rush arrives.

But the main advice is that given at the start, which is to start early. Mr Peeling provides a timeline: ‘Planning is all-important as the main activity takes place in October for delivery in November in time for Christmas. Decide what products you are going to focus on and decide on your target customers. Think about having samples in hand ready to go and make sure that discussions with clients about their marketing and product needs start in early September to raise awareness, with a view to orders being closed in October.’

Mr Hardeman adds further impetus, noting that, ‘The Christmas rush arrives swiftly, and even as early as mid-summer, we’ve seen an influx of Christmas print orders. Ensure your customers know that you’re their go-to printer for all their Christmas printing needs, so they can plan ahead and avoid last-minute stress.’

Since Christmas can often be a stressful time for families, it seems a double win not to let it be one for business. Have a great one!

The post Holidays are coming appeared first on Digital Printer.

Ms Means has spent the last 26 years working all across the globe, showing companies and individuals how to transform their presents into a magical experience. As part of her new agreement with Where The Trade Buys she will share her secrets with the trade printer’s customers.

Where The Trade Buys has a wide range of bespoke Christmas products and believes the partnership with Ms Means can help add an extra dimension to the ‘unboxing’ experience.

Mss Means, who has worked for brands including Fortnum and Mason, Dior and Selfridges along with wrapping gifts for everyone from royalty to Victoria Beckham, has recorded a number of videos showing how to add value to any product. She will also be providing insider tips on how Where The Trade Buys’ customers can enhance their own products.

‘Wrapping something properly turns the mundane into something really special,’ she said.

CEO Gary Peeling echoed Ms Means’ words about the importance of the unboxing experience. ‘Bespoke wrapping paper really helps someone’s brand stay front of mind,’ he said. ‘It enhances the customer experience and makes a product memorable, for a fairly low cost.

‘A personal touch helps build brand loyalty and can take an item – even an inexpensive one – to the next level. We’re delighted to be working with Jane and to showcase her skills which we believe will be absolutely invaluable to our customers.’

The post Where The Trade Buys unveils Christmas gift appeared first on Digital Printer.

Christmas printing? I know, I know, by the time you read this we should still be in Autumn, but for many printers the time to start thinking about the holiday season is right now. As Route 1’s brand manager Christie Round tells Digital Printer, ‘Every business’s seasonal plan is unique and when you start thinking about Christmas really depends on what each business wants to get out of the season. However, we would recommend that our clients be set up no later than October.

‘This is because, as a reseller, you need to be ready even before the end-users themselves start their Christmas marketing. Your customers will want talk to you about their ideas, to check out quotes and find out what possibilities you can offer them. If you’re not ready, they can lose confidence in you as a print supplier.’

For Gary White, managing director of digitalprinting.co.uk, October is too late. ‘Generally, we would start in July, getting our own Christmas marketing material sorted out,’ he says. ‘This leads on to making sure we have all the product lines we want to sell online this year available on DigitalPrinting. co.uk and price check them all to make sure we are competitive in the online market with a view to having them all live by mid-August. ‘

During lockdown Precison Proco produced ‘Sitees’ – full size figures which could be produced in the image of family and friends

Even July is leaving it too late though, at least according to Jon Tolley, chief innovation officer at Precision Proco Group. ‘January,’ he insists, when asked when his company starts planning for the festive period. ‘That’s when all the product development and integration kicks off again. It’s where we look at the processes which were in place for the previous Christmas and look at what process improvements can be made.’

This might seem slightly absurd to some, but as Mr Tolley says, to Precision Proco Christmas is ‘massively important, it’s a huge part of what we do and is responsible for the vast majority of personalised products we produce and a huge amount of revenue. The gifting market plays a crucial role in our business and for that market it’s the busiest time of year.’

Unsurprisingly the sentiment is echoed by both our other contributors. As Mr White explains, ‘Like most commercial printers, whether online or offline, the last quarter of the year is normally the busiest period and a lot of that has to do with Christmas. There is always a real buzz across the factory floor and the whole business in November and December and it is when we are at our most efficient which always makes me extra proud of the team. ‘

Ms Round concurs, adding, ‘Christmas is very important to us at Route 1 Print because it’s important to our clients. We have a peak season that starts in September and runs all the way through to New Year. Above all, we want to make sure our clients have everything they need ahead of time to get through that peak period.’

Festive products

All well and good, but which products spike in demand when Christmas rolls around? ‘It’s all pretty predictable,’ Ms Round concedes. ‘We see increases in orders for greetings cards, but also New Year items like diaries and calendars. We also see a boost in invites because there are typically a lot of work parties at this time of year. One thing that’s interesting though is the increase in embellishments across the board. We get more Spot UV and more foiling work at Christmas, not just red and green foiling either!

Mr White says much the same thing, ‘It’s all the usual suspects for us, invites, Christmas cards and calendars. Stickers and labels are one segment that has a taken a jump in demand. It seems to be for adding that personal touch for gift wrapping, and the craft and artisan markets are big users of these.’

Route 1 offers a range of Christmas products

For his part Mr Tolley highlights the importance of custom products. ‘At Christmas there’s a huge demand for all categories in our personalised product range. We are monitoring all the key drivers like basket value, repeat customers, profitability for our clients. The product ranges are never ending – from the more obvious ones such as cards, calendars and books to mugs, garments, tea towels, tote bags and baubles. One of the most unusual ones in recent times has definitely been personalised feeding mats.’

The bling’s the thing

We’ve just touched on personalisation and embellishment, always key selling points for digital print, but are these the key trends to watch when it comes to Christmas printing?

‘Embellishments is definitely the big one for us,’ Ms Round says. ‘Customers are more likely to go all-out to create some truly special print around Christmas. We see lots of gold and silver foil, and the number of requests for red and green options is what led us to launch these options in the first place. We’ve also received several requests for calendars with a drilled hole in for hanging, so we launched those last year too. The other thing we get asked for is Carte Lumina – a stock that is coated on one side but uncoated on the other. This is ideal for greetings cards as it gives the front a glossy, premium feel, but it’s still easy to write on.’

Similarly, Mr Tolley mentions personalisation. ‘As above, personalisation is a massive driver for the Christmas market. Although we produce more than 100 million products over the year, everything to us is a quantity of one which is about as short as it gets! What’s particularly important is content rather than embellishments – for us content is king.’

Mr White just states that, ‘As we are a digital printing business, short runs are our speciality and demand appears to be growing for shorter runs which suits our strengths. This is as true at Christmas as any other time of the year.’

To wrap up, we asked each of our three printers what advice they would give to someone looking to ramp up their presence in the Christmas printing market. ‘Get yourself some samples,’ says Ms Brand. ‘It’s much easier to sell luxury stocks or finishes when customers can see, and feel, the print in their hands. You should also take the time to understand why your customer is asking for something. Once you understand, you can make better suggestions for upselling and cross-selling other items.’

Mr Tolley recommends sorting your workflow early on. ‘Think about scale – can your system cope with a possible huge influx of orders of one? Be realistic about what you’re capable of.’

Mr White, however, brings us full circle. His advice is simply, ‘start preparing in June!’ We hope that this late July reminder is still in time.

The post Winter is coming appeared first on Digital Printer.