[ActionImprints]

Did anyone else have very slow sales in the US in 2017? I am in Oklahoma and noticed we were down over $39,000 from 2016! Our total sales are usually $200,000-$250,000. It could just be my town. Two competitors here upgraded their equipment, but we haven't lost that many customers to them. I don't know if everyone is buying online, or if just no one is buying. I was just curious if anyone else had this problem in 2017 or if I'm doing it wrong?

 

[johnchesley]

Are you staying in touch with your past customers? If not, they will not feel an allegiance to you and the next printer that calls them will take them from you. In answer to your question, Yes my sales were way down, but that is because I had a heart attack and was out much of the past year.

 

[paradigmprint]

I was up a bit but I'd just started in 2014 so I guess it's not surprising.

Personally (and I have no proof of this whatsoever) I believe that, long term, local screen printers will go the way of local book / periodical printers. The large online guys can offer super fast turn-around with no shipping charges (and some charge no sales tax) and people can order from work, home, at 3am, whenever.

Some also do a pretty good job of working with customers on art work and are pretty responsive.

Unfortunately, as Amazon is proving every day, people are more and more inclined to just tap on a few keys, place and order, and wait for things to arrive. In order to compete, local printers are going to have to be more aggressive than ever to get new customers and to keep the ones they have.

 

[NoArtCo]

We are in Oklahoma also, and seemed to notice a slow-down. We don't do nearly the volume you do, different type of business, but we did notice our usual avenues, Tulsa Punk Rock Flea Market, pop-up shop, etc... weren't quite as profitable as previously.

 

[PollyCotton]

I think there is too much competition from online sources for the printing/apparel decorating business in general. Many shoppers know to check online before ordering locally anymore. But, you'll be the first one they run to when an online giant can't fulfill their order in two days after they've waited until the last minute to get it done and they will expect you to do it.

 

[ActionImprints]

Thank you for all the replies. We are usually cheaper than the online sites like custom ink. A good number of our customers come to us after they have checked with them and said we were cheaper.

I will try to follow up with previous customers that I haven't heard from in a while.

We did loose one account to a TERO certified business. This couldn't be helped. It's an indian school run by Cherokee Nation. Their bidding process says they have to give preference to TERO certified businesses. I hated to loose that account, but I'm not indian so I can never become a TERO certified business.

A lot of my customers are wanting just 2-3 full color shirts now, and with traditional screen printing equipment I have to turn those orders away. Unfortunately we don't have enough capital to get a DTG right now. Plus our competition already has one. I don't know how to compete when I don't have the money to invest in equipment. I don't know where they're getting all this money to upgrade their equipment.

 

[PatWibble]

I don't know where they're getting all this money to upgrade their equipment.

Maybe from the $39k they have 'stollen' from you?

Part of the problem we are all facing is that older customers are now more confident with ordering online and younger customers have little or no concept of shopping locally.
In the UK 17% of all retail spending is done online. If you strip food spending out of those figures the percentage is even higher. I don't think the figures are as high in the US, but they will be, sooner or later.

Another problem we all face is that order sizes are getting smaller, but order value ( per item) is getting greater. Customers no longer expect minimum quantities, and are prepared to pay a bit more for short run work.

You need to find the money to invest into new equipment, even if you have to eat baked beans for a year to fund it. If you don't, you will get left behind and will find it very hard to catch up.