LABEL PRINTERS
Labelling up The label printer market has enjoyed strong growth in the past three years, but customer demands are evolving and resellers need to be aware of this to ensure they take advantage of the opportunities in this part of the sector.
Trends This is one of the bigger trends in the sector over the past few years, and there are others emerging that resellers need to be aware of, adds David. “As online ordering becomes more prevalent there are likely to be a growing number of smaller independent retailers and hospitality operators seeking labelling solutions alongside the larger players,” he says. “While their needs will be similar, independent operators are likely to require solutions that are not only easy to set up, but also to use and maintain. “Devices that can print a wide range of labels including die-cut and linerless labels in varying widths/lengths without having to change internal components are being sought as well as printers that cater for weight, price, food and ingredient labelling.” David adds that feedback from the printer is also important for many customers. “This includes not just how many prints have been completed but integral business information including if the cutter is jammed, the presenter is blocked or if the printer is receiving the right amount of voltage,” he says. “Alongside multi-functional capability, printers must also provide flexible connectivity given the wide range of environments in which they may be located. “Given that countertop space is valuable in any retail or hospitality environment, front loading label printers allow for under counter positioning while ‘drop in’ loading is also important so label rolls can be easily replenished, especially in busy environments.” Automation and digital Deyon Antoine, product manager at Toshiba Tec, adds that another developing trend is for increasing automation. “To keep up with customer demand, companies are moving towards labelling automation not only to speed up throughput, but also it allows companies to upskill employees for re-deployment and improve business performance,” he says. “The benefits of this are improved efficiency, elimination of human error, reduced downtime and high-speed application.” There is also a move towards digital colour label printing, as this is more cost-effective and efficient. “Not only is it better at producing prototypes and short-run samples, digital printing also allows for a degree of flexibility especially
The past three years has seen huge growth in online ordering. During the pandemic, many people had little option but to go online to make purchases and, while lockdowns are now seemingly in the past and the public can go back to their old shopping ways, many people have elected to continue to buy from websites or through apps. With the growth in ecommerce in recent years has come increased demand for barcode and label printers from online traders, who need them not just for labelling of goods but also the shipping and delivery of these goods. This growth in demand has also driven new label printing technology, says David Pearce, technical director at Star Micronics EMEA. “Driven by the huge technological shift in recent years in terms of delivery and takeaway in the hospitality sector alongside online ordering in retail, businesses are receiving orders from multiple channels,” he explains. “This is resulting in demand for new POS [point of sale] technologies such as cloud printing and the ability to print labels on a variety of media and at various locations whether in a restaurant, store or via a kiosk. “Due to this massive expansion, the label market has had to become more agile with label printers working in the background of many sectors including dark kitchens and dark stores. With the explosion in Click & Collect and BOPIS in retail, the demand for labelling solutions in warehouses has increased and we are witnessing the growth of kiosks to print shipping labels for customers returning online orders. “Within the hospitality sector, allergy legislation has given rise to the need for food orders to be printed on repositionable labels that can be removed and easily re-applied during the food preparation process, before being attached to the final packaging as a receipt for the customer.”
David Pearce technical director Star Micronics EMEA
This is resulting in “
demand for new POS technologies such as cloud printing and the ability to print labels on a variety of media and at various locations whether in a restaurant, store or via a kiosk
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