Print Markets Update — Where Print’s Hot, And Not

The falling dollar continues to inflate prices in energy and other imports, and earnings growth among companies with foreign operations. At least two interest rate hikes before year’s end are inevitable, which will likely dampen retail sales and speed up mega-merger activity in every sector.

All of this is good news for our industry. Consumers have been outspending the overall economic growth, and retailers will buy catalogs, ROP and outdoor/point-of-purchase (POP) to keep their customers’ spending beyond their means. Increasing dependence on offshore earnings and capital will mean more multi-lingual advertising and packaging, and business combinations will bring name changes and a boom from business cards to outdoor signs.