Print shops struggling to survive

PRINT shops are facing a bleak future with unprecedented challenges.

While in the past, it was customary for businesses to print calendars, diaries and other types of memorabilia, the switch to online materials has created difficulties for the printing sector.

Print shop sales manager David Ng, 27, said business at his shop in Kuala Terengganu had declined by 10% to 15%.

“We still receive orders from our corporate customers and individuals to print magazines and calendars but the sales volume has dropped,” he added.

While sales dropped, wages for experienced workers went up by 25% and the prices of materials like paper, ink and other related items increased about 30%, he said.

Ng added that there was a need to increase salaries of workers to retain them.

The drop in the value of the ringgit, he said, also contributed to increased cost of printing materials and equipment from abroad.

“To be able to compete in the future, we need to diversify our business by creating online materials,” he added.

Print shop owner Mohamad Azman Karim, 46, now receives fewer walk-in customers, compared to the time before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our walk-in customers used to order business cards, banners or posters, but now the numbers have declined,” he said.

Mohamad Azman, who has been in the business since 2016, said the cost of paper, ink and equipment had increased between 20% and 30%.

He estimated 40% losses in sales because his customers switched to online advertising and marketing.

He also said people no longer go to print shops to print banners or posters as they could do that online.

“My post-pandemic revenue has suffered.With more competitors, it is quite hard to do business now,” said Mohamad Azman who is now focusing on orders from government agencies in the northern region.

Another print shop owner, Lim Chin Leng was, however, still receiving orders for diaries and calendars, but his gross profits had shrunk.

In order to generate profit, Lim, 50, took more orders to offset the cost and bought consumables in bulk to get better prices.

“However, some companies still give away physical items like calendars and diaries as people still want to use them.”