Market Trends from HelloPrint: Key Insights for Our Partners and Market Stakeholders

As the global marketplace for customized printed products, HelloPrint is constantly monitoring the evolving market dynamics to ensure our suppliers and partners are well-informed and prepared for changes. By combining millions of ecommerce data points with insights from our partner network of over 300 producing printers, we believe we have an unique edge in identifying trends. Over the last period, we’ve observed several significant trends impacting  our print industry, which we like to share with you to help you navigate these changes effectively

1. Decline in Offset Runs for Paper Products

One of the most notable trends we’ve observed is the ungoing decline in volume for offset runs in paper products. Depending on local markets, we see a decline of 10 to 20% compared to the volumes of  2023. Traditionally, offset printing has been the go-to method for high-volume print jobs due to its cost-effectiveness and high-quality output. However, due to a changing customer demand this trend is quickly evolving. Although this trend was already predicted  for years, now it seems to be really happening, and at a strong pace as well. 

Instead of large-scale orders, we see a move towards smaller, more customized runs by customers. Order growth in smaller quantities is accelerating, in some markets up to 30%. This goes together with stronger preferences for higher quality materials, more appealing finishing options and more sustainable paper types. The combination of lower quantities of the product, but a much more special product looks like a movement that will continue in the years to come.

Many of our production partners are already anticipating this trend. Whether that is by making their offset production more efficient to position them for the volume that stays in the market, or investing strongly in digital and inkjet production. With our platform model, we feel the responsibility to guide our partners on this journey. Do you feel you can use help in how to navigate this transition, then feel free to reach out to our Partner Success team.

2. Continued Growth in Large Format Products

While offset printing faces a decline, large format products are experiencing strong and sustained growth. We see in all markets a base growth of 10% in volumes, but some countries like France are way above this average growth. Products such as banners, posters, signage, and display materials are seeing robust market demand, particularly in the online space. The versatility and visual impact of large format printing make it a popular choice for businesses looking to enhance their branding and advertising efforts. 

Since COVID-19, there seems to be a lot of appetite from small businesses to invest more strongly in their appearance in the shopping streets. More than before the pandemic, they seem to understand that they have unique benefits over their online counterparts, and that the visual physical aspects add to these benefits. This leads to more replacements of the advertising materials so that messages to their audiences can be more specified, but also higher quality materials are being chosen more often. 

At HelloPrint, we are strongly investing in our Large Format category. We feel that there is a lot to improve in our offering, and we will be seeking active collaboration with our partners to improve this in the next six months. If you feel as a partner that we can make more value out of our partnership in Large Format Printing, please reach out to us so that we can book a meeting on the short term. 

3. Surge in Promotional Products: A Focus on Quality and Sustainability

Another significant trend we’re witnessing is the huge growth in the market for promotional products, including corporate gifts, merchandise, and clothing. The demand for these products is expanding rapidly and up to 15% on a yearly basis, with a notable shift towards online purchasing channels.

This surge is partly due to businesses increasingly recognizing the value of branded merchandise as a powerful marketing tool for enhancing customer loyalty and brand visibility. At HelloPrint, we have been investing strongly in promotional products in the last years (from product range to tech, team and marketing) and are currently seeing surging growth over 100% per year. 

More importantly, there is a clear shift towards higher-quality and more sustainable promotional products. Consumers and businesses alike are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchases. As a result, there is growing interest in eco-friendly materials, sustainable production processes, and higher-quality products that offer longevity and value.

As an officially certified BCorp Corporation, we feel the responsibility of a leading role in this transition on a daily basis. In the last 3 months, 80% of our new product offerings in our Promotional Gifts and Clothing & Merch categories have been categorized as sustainable, and from Q4 this should be 99%.

To support these goals, we are constantly working with our existing partners to get there, but also expanding heavily in working with new partners, sometimes in very niche segments. Our team is fully dedicated on these developments, and will proactively work together with our partners to do this journey together. 

Conclusion: Adapting to the Changing Market Dynamics

The print market is undergoing significant transformations, driven by changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and an increasing emphasis on sustainability. At HelloPrint, we are committed to helping our network  partners stay ahead of these trends by providing timely insights and guidance.

The first edition of this “Market Trends from HelloPrint” started at a high level about the trends in the market. In the next editions we will go deeper and more specific about the trends that we see, and hopefully we can provide strong value by doing so. If there are any topics or trends that you have questions about or that you want us to cover, let us know and we will include it in one of the next episodes. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to innovation and excellence in the print industry. If there is anything you would like to discuss with me personally, feel free to send me a message on LinkedIn or drop me an email on [email protected].

Rick Molenaar
Chief Marketing Officer
HelloPrint