LABEL PRINTERS
CONTINUED if information on labels frequently changes as it reduces the need for keeping inventory, reduces wastage and its associated costs,” he says. Deyon adds that the benefits include that they are great for short production runs, print only what is needed, eliminate expensive plate and tooling costs and have a quick job changeover. “As the cost of pre-printed material has become more expensive, with longer lead times, there is a greater shift toward more on-demand colour labelling to support applications like retail branding, product packaging, asset identification, GHS and compliance labelling, pharmaceutical packaging, and medicine labelling,” he says. Another customer-led trend in the market is a stronger need for labelling to support traceability requirements with greater shipping volumes from a B2B and B2C perspective, Deyon adds. “The growing need for traceability has strengthened the value proposition of barcode verification capabilities, especially with manufacturing and logistics environments, for streamlining order accuracy and reducing labelling errors.” Finally, managed print services have gained more traction in the barcode printing landscape as channel partners aim to centralise printer care and drive additional value add-ons, Deyon adds. Advice for resellers With the shifts in the market, it is providing opportunities for resellers, but they must understand what customers are looking for, Deyon warns. “Resellers need to appreciate more and more customers are looking for printing solutions rather than just box shifted items, so a combination of a consultative approach to understand the customer requirements, hardware, software solutions and the technical capability to provide professional services to support these new products and technologies is required,” he says. With the resources, technical expertise and initial investment required, it can be difficult for smaller resellers to move into this area, Deyon warns. But for those that do want to take the leap, Toshiba will provide the necessary training to help resellers sell and support these solutions themselves and/or provide professional services to them and their customers, he adds. “Toshiba offers resellers a one-stop shop – they can service the needs of their customers all in one place without having to deal with multiple suppliers – hardware, software, parts, consumables and service,” he says. “In the current situation with chip and component shortages, as we manufacture our own products from component level, we have been able to recover far quicker than other manufacturers and now have good levels of stock across the barcode
printer range.” Resellers should also be aware that the POS market is primarily driven by independent software vendors developing apps, David notes. “A large number of these vendors have integrated Star printers so it is just a matter of reformatting based on specific printing requirements and this can be expanded from front of house to back of house,” he says. “As a result, there is minimal effort required by the reseller and it is further possible to easily add value to the offering with set up, media re-order and bundling with recommended software or POS peripherals such as scanners, customer displays etc.” Continuing growth Deyon and David expect the market to continue to grow in the course of 2023. “The label printing sector has experienced steady growth for the past decade, and we anticipate it will continue, driven by the ongoing trend towards delivery and takeaway as well as online ordering,” says David. “The technologies can result in greater efficiencies in terms of staffing and reduced operating costs, providing the opportunity for businesses to maximise profits. This is likely to drive greater adoption of such technology. “We envisage there will be increased demand for ‘green’ labelling solutions and, as a result, Star has incorporated features such as a 3mm top margin to reduce paper consumption. Also, in line with this environmental trend, the shift towards reducing unnecessary waste and packaging may result in limiting the use of disposable cups, for example. As a result, coffee shops are likely to increasingly label customers’ own cups before filling. This may also apply in other outlets where customers fill their own food containers. “Finally, with the growth of the delivery market, we will no doubt see a rise in demand for tamper evident labelling that helps prevent delivery drivers possibly tampering with packaging.”
“
Resellers need to appreciate more and more customers are looking for printing solutions rather
than just box shifted items
”
Deyon Antoine product manager Toshiba Tec
star-emea.com • toshibatec.co.uk
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