From The Editor: Print Isn’t Dead. It’s Different.

Retail is a strange thing right now. On one hand, it seems to be healthy. According to the Commerce Department, U.S. retail sales increased by 3% in January, far exceeding expectations for the month. This is the largest increase since March 2021.

Additionally, brands are investing in their brick-and-mortar stores and frontline employees. In February, The Home Depot said it will spend an additional $1 billion to give its hourly employees a raise. In January, Walmart announced it’s raising its minimum wage for store employees to $14 an hour. Babies”R”Us, which went out of business in 2018, is attempting a comeback, opening a new flagship store this summer at the American Dream megamall in New Jersey. Warby Parker, one of the first retail startups to use a direct-to-consumer business model, is planning to open hundreds of brick-and-mortar stores over the next few years due to customer demand for physical destinations that offer eye examinations.

On the other hand, we also see a number of brands shuttering locations. Amazon.com announced in early March it plans to close eight of its Go convenience stores, a decision that coincides with a pullback in its physical footprint and a broader effort to cut costs. The retailer is also temporarily pausing expansion of the Fresh grocery chain. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is closing an additional 87 of its flagship stores and its entire Harmon chain of drugstores. The company is also closing five of its Buybuy Baby stores. These closings are in addition to a plan announced in August 2022 to shut 150 lower-performing Bed Bath & Beyond locations.

So, what does this mean for print providers working with big and small retail brands? Simply put, there are multiple opportunities in both of the above scenarios for PSPs to be a partner with their customer — both in good and bad times. Recent changes in shopping behavior, including digital content and online ordering, have shaken up the way retail works. Knowing how to serve the segment means knowing where retail is today.

In this issue, we detail some of the opportunities and changes retail brands are facing in the market — and how PSPs can help customers navigate them.

Are you prepared to offer support through static and digital signage? Can you help brands adjust to the “buy online, pickup in store” trend — and seamless experience — consumers expect? How can you help retail brands provide that human connection to customers they’ve been missing?

Print is still an integral part of the retail experience, but it’s the shops that find ways to tie it all together that will win the long-term business. Print isn’t dead by any stretch of the imagination, but navigating how it is changing in response to broader trends is a critical skill every wide-format and signage printer will need to cultivate — fast — if they want to survive and thrive.