PLANO, Texas, May 7, 2019 – FedEx Office, a world-class provider of convenient, state-of-the-art printing, packing and shipping services and subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), released today the results of its latest national print survey showing 82 percent of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and 61 percent of consumers choose to have items professionally printed at the same or a higher rate than they did in the year before. Professionally printed materials remain highly valued – with nearly half of audiences citing that convenience offered through digital and mobile access is a very important factor in the process.
In the survey, FedEx Office analyzed the opinions of consumers and SMBs about their preferences and purchasing habits regarding professional printing services. Among the key findings, professionally printed materials benefit small businesses in multiple ways, with 92 percent indicating it helps them compete with larger organizations. Additionally, nearly nine in 10 SMBs believe professional printing is very, or somewhat important in communicating with potential clients and attracting new business.
When deciding where and how to have something professionally printed, a comprehensive service offering that includes quality, support and convenience, is important.
- Quality ranks No. 1 for both consumers (77 percent) and SMBs (78 percent).
- Among SMBs, high quality printing e.g., color matching and inks resistant to water, UV light and tearing (64 percent), as well as the ability to consult someone on their printing project (44 percent), were cited as very important.
- Roughly half of SMBs and consumers cited the convenience of placing an order online or on a mobile phone as very important. About the same amount say that being able to obtain a digital proof online is very important.
Professional printing also plays a key part in job searches and hiring trends. Professionally printed business cards (64 percent) and resumes (59 percent) were found to be very or somewhat important to small business hiring managers – a key element to consider for those in the job search process.
In fact, business cards are still heavily in use with more than 76 percent of consumers and 81 percent of SMBs using business cards to research and connect with people. Moreover, when it comes to business cards, SMBs are interested in design and quality, while consumers are more interested in style, card stock and colors.
“Even as our world becomes increasingly digital, people prefer to print the materials that matter most to them – whether it’s for personal use, such as a resume, or for business purposes such as collateral reflecting their company’s image. Professional printing services continue to grow, and FedEx Office is meeting the demand with services including color matching capabilities, project consulting and the convenience of being able to submit a job anywhere – in-store, online or through a mobile device,” said Brian Philips, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Office.
“FedEx Office continues to identify trends and opportunities to bridge the physical and digital worlds, using our nationwide network to meet our customer’s needs – no matter the location or project scope,” Philips said.
For more information about the survey please visit https://www.fedex.com/en-us/printing/articles/Power-of-print-survey.html.
This poll was conducted from March 8-16, 2019 online via an online panel. Questions were asked among 2,200 respondents in the general population. The data were weighted to targets based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment and region. The margin of error among these respondents is +/- 2 percentage points. Questions were also asked among a nationally representative sample of 500 small and medium-sized business owners. The margin of error among SMBs is +/- 4 percentage points.