Pack Smart Group invests and launches new brand

Print Solutions

Coventry based e-commerce and fulfilment business Pack Smart Group has invested in new in-house printing capabilities to strengthen its end to end service and reduce reliance on third party suppliers.

The company has installed direct to film printing equipment at its headquarters in Foleshill, Coventry, bringing print on-demand services in-house for its clients while also supporting the launch of a new consumer facing brand.

The independent business, established in 2009, offers a full service fulfilment solution for clients across the UK and internationally, specialising in the music, drinks and sports markets.

The investment in the equipment totals more than £50,000 and will support the launch of direct to consumer platform Printopotamus, offering a fast turnaround on high quality customised products.

Customers will be able to design and create items using their own artwork, with a targeted turnaround time of three working days for orders.

The investment in the new equipment also forms part of a wider move to bring print on-demand services in-house, creating a more integrated and efficient approach for both existing and new business to business clients.

The move addresses a growing challenge for the business’s client base, with many currently relying on third party providers for print on-demand. This can result in split fulfilment, particularly around time sensitive releases such as album launches, where one audio product will arrive from The Pack Smart Group and other items that require print on-demand will arrive from another supplier.

The business is currently recruiting additional staff to grow its workforce and deliver the new service, with further expansion of the Printopotamus range and potential applications in areas such as workwear and uniforms being considered.

Nick Walker, CEO of The Pack Smart Group, said: ‘As we continue to grow and develop the business, we identified print on-demand as a clear gap in our services.

‘This is a service that our clients are using, but often with different providers, which ultimately leads to a disjointed customer experience.

‘We can now offer a more joined up service and simplify the process for clients, with speed and flexibility built into the delivery.

‘It also allows clients to reduce stock holding and test products in smaller volumes before committing to larger runs. Our capability also supports clients to respond more quickly to trends and demand levels, which is crucial in fast moving modern markets such as music, sport and retail.

‘After investing in the equipment to make print on demand possible, it felt like a natural fit to launch Printopotamus alongside it.

‘The launch allows us to maximise utilisation of the new capability while opening up an additional revenue stream with the consumer market to support the continued growth of the business.

‘We are confident our print on-demand service and Printopotamus will be a hit with our clients and general consumers too.’