The country’s biggest web-to-print business Vistaprint is opening a trade printing service TradeAdvantage, delivering Aussie printers a range of 120 products ranging from print to promotional products, signage and apparel.
Vistaprint Australia, New Zealand and Japan vice president Paul Heath says this is an exciting moment for Australian printers.
“It means they have access to a huge range of products, not only traditional print such as business cards, brochures and flyers, but also apparel, promotional and photo products, and signage, all at great prices,” he says.
“It will open up new markets for printers with zero investment for them. Margins could easily be 50 per cent or more up to 200 per cent.”
Vistaprint is making a special offer to printers signing up for TradeAdvantage with a 50 per cent discount on business cards and flyers for those who sign up by October 31. Printers can join up at the company's new trade webpage.
[Related: More trade printing news]
Vistaprint will provide substantial discounts on its retail prices and offer tiered discounts depending on average monthly order levels.
Heath says: “Vistaprint will produce very small runs, down to one, which will make it economical for printers to work with their smaller customers”.
Printers will be able to order products 24/7 though the website, which has more than 10,000 design templates, and can accept artwork. Online proofing will be provided for printers to show their customers.
The company has developed a white label print portal and white label packaging, delivery either to the printer or its customers is in three, five or ten days.
Heath says: “Protecting client relationships is absolutely key to our strategy, there is no way that the printer’s customer will know that the job has been produced by Vistaprint, and no way that Vistaprint will communicate with the customer.
“TradeAdvantage is about enabling print businesses to significantly expand their market, and they do that by developing great relationships and supplying great product at great prices.”
Vistaprint operates from its facility in Deer Park, Melbourne, with offset and digital printing, and all but two of its products are produced there. It uses manroland 700 and HP Indigo presses.
Vistaprint’s move into trade printing comes as the company recognises that while the online market is massive – it has a global turnover of $1.2bn – the face to face market is much bigger. It has already established a trade printing operation in the US, and is currently setting up the same business in Japan.
The company’s entry into trade printing comes as the market in Australia is at its most competitive, with major trade printers including the likes of CMYKhub, LEP, HeroPrint, Whirlwind all making major investments in plant and equipment this year, seeking to gain business as smaller printers, and their banks, baulk at the investment needed for their own presses.
Heath says: “TradeAdvantage brings all the advantages of a pure play online business with a fantastic manufacturing engine to print and copy partners who have storefronts and strong customer relationships.”
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter