NPOA Survey: Offset Sales Sag, Large Format Grows

Offset sales in 2014 are in decline in all but the fastest growing shops, however even there growth is reported at less than 1%. Meanwhile, sales from signs, banners, and large format are seeing growth across the board. This data from the new National Print Owners Association (NPOA) Business Climate Survey “clearly supports the conventional wisdom that sales from traditional offset printing are fading,” according to survey author and NPOA Executive Director John Stewart. “This data also confirms that these declines are being offset in the more successful shops by new profit opportunities,” he added.

As a whole, the 2014 sales projection data from the survey’s 250 respondents shows an average decline in offset sales of 4.7%. Meanwhile, sales of signs, banners, and large format are seeing a 10% growth, followed by digital copying and printing (6.8%), mailing services (4.2%), graphics and Web design (3.0%), and advertising specialties (2.5%). Survey responses were then divided into three categories: companies projecting negative sales growth; companies projecting growth from 0% to 7.9%; and shops projecting growth of 8% or more.

Offset sales were down the most (10.7%) at companies projecting negative sales growth. In fact, sales for these companies were down across the board except in the signs/banners/large format category where they were up slightly at 1.5%.

At the companies projecting growth between 0% and 7.9%, offset sales were down 2.3%. Sales for signs/banners/large format were up 8.9% followed by digital copying and printing (5.4%), ad specialties (4.0%), mailing services (2.8%), and graphics and Web design (2.8%).

Companies with 8% sales growth or more had offset sales growth of 0.9% but showed exceptional growth in all other departments. Signs/banners/large format sales were up 22.1% with digital copying and printing up 17.5%, mailing services up 17.3%, graphics and Web design up 8.9%, and ad specialties up 5.7%.

“Attempting to pursue and improve offset printing sales when those sales are declining significantly across the country may be the wrong path to follow,” said Stewart. “Changing focus regarding income opportunities, even at the risk of going against what you have done for the past 20 years, may be called for – especially if your sales are down.”