Big Picture - June/July 2020 - 11

Although rare in wide-format print because we don't
necessarily need to stock rolls and rolls of unprinted goods, if
you do have extra inventory, use it to your advantage. It may
be the right time to offer an unembossed PVC wallcovering
substrate that may not be a hot seller, but is the perfect
material your customer is looking for based on their
COVID-19 budget. Pearlescent, Mylar, and specialty Type II
wallcovering substrates are more than likely a higher cost
from your vendor, but if your customer only needs temporary
wall graphics, wayfinding, or other decorative elements, you
could even consider repositionable adhesive-backed fabric,
pre-pasted nonwovens, or vinyl.

What does the future look like and how
long will this really last? It's hard to tell, but
through difficult times we can often be the
most innovative.
Marketing during the COVID-19 crisis is an additional
area of opportunity. Now is the perfect time to collect case
studies of your good-willed efforts. While it may be challenging to think about marketing efforts, you can always go
grassroots through social media. The most effective way to
market your décor print business is through storytelling.
Promoting customer and project success stories with your
marketing and social media content is impactful and unique to
your business. Remember, designers are relying on you to be
the expert, especially when tradeshows and fairs have either
been cancelled or have gone virtual. The tactile part of
exploring new materials is on pause, in-person. Schedule
video calls and send samples so this isn't lost entirely.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
What does the future look like and how long will this really
last? It's hard to tell, but through difficult times we can often
be the most innovative. Developing more eco-friendly and
low-VOC solutions to maintain healthy air quality will be
especially important, not only for how print is perceived but as
a benefit to the end-user. After all, COVID-19 is a respiratory
disease so anything installed in a space that could be a
negative contributor will probably be taken into much more
consideration. Environments will be changing so you'll want
to consider if you're adding to the problem or helping.
Digital transformation in the wide-format print industry is
needed now more than ever and not only for modernization in
the workplace. It may mean more use of ERP systems, software
technologies, and better ways for vendors and suppliers to stay
connected. Or, what about smarter automation tools to allow
presses to run with the least amount of staff? (Just don't break
your maintenance agreements.) Are you using manual practices
instead of fully efficient digital workflows? The opportunity to
fix dated practices is here but it's up to us to use that to our
advantage and propel the industry forward in case, dare I say,
this were to ever happen again.

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If you're planning for the short- or long-term, start thinking
about add-on offerings like protective coatings with antimicrobial attributes or surfaces that have wash and scrub
durability factors for stronger cleaning reagents. Designers
and customers are probably going to be searching for this
more and more because space usage is changing drastically.
Especially in residential buildings - even condos or
multi-family spaces - where functionality along with design
is the future. Building materials that resist the growth of
bacteria like flooring or carpet that can be easily cleaned will
be in higher demand. Being locked down for months at a
time has proven that where we live needs to not only provide
shelter and comfort but also transform into classrooms,
workspaces, and gyms. How interior spaces affect the
human psyche is also important; that means the use of
space, lighting, and color.
The interior design community has also experienced
major shifts in canceled design fairs like High Point Market,
a mecca design fair that happens twice a year in the spring
and summer. According to an article by Fred Nicolaus in
Business of Home, the current COVID-19 numbers affecting
the design community are alarming. North Carolina-based
High Point Market has been cancelled twice (spring and fall),
which is not just disappointing, it's historic. As the largest
home furnishings tradeshow in the world, it's only been
cancelled once before and that was at the height of World
War II. Nicolaus quotes a recent ASID survey where, "...
Veteran designers (those with more than 10 years of
experience) think it will take longer than newcomers do."
These veteran designers are estimating roughly six months
for their design businesses to bounce back.
According to Interior Design magazine, Sandow's own
ThinkLab research division has been conducting weekly
surveys submitted by A&D, manufacturers, and industry
distributors to collect various data points. In the first week of
the survey, 30 percent of projects immediately went on hold
and 10 percent were cancelled. Week to week over the course
of five weeks, those projects in progress did see an uptick on
hold to cancelled, but experts say the design industry will
sharply bounce back.
What can PSPs do in the interim? Most importantly,
connect with your customers and maintain strong, healthy
business relationships. As someone once said, people don't
always remember what you say to them, but they remember
how you make them feel. Work with your customers and see if
adjustments on projects that are still in your job queue can be
made to avoid cancellations. Providing clear communication
and good customer service doesn't cost money. If there's a
possibility they won't have to cancel, work with them on
quotes. Is there a more cost-effective material that can be
swapped out from the current job spec? Do they have other
needs that aren't decorative but still provide value like
wayfinding, signage, or perhaps temporary wall graphics? You
can also use production downtime to reassess your pricing
and profit margins for your décor print business. It may help
retain loyal customers or prevent those quotes from being
cancelled when they should become POs and invoices.
Consult and think creatively.

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Big Picture - June/July 2020

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