What a Difference a Point Makes — Printing Shipments Part II

The real change is not a surge of volume in any month, it’s a reduced volume of end-of-year printing related to retailing that has given other months a greater piece of the shrinking pie of printing shipments. Retailers have also be spreading many of their dollars throughout the year because consumer spending is changing. Note how Halloween has become the second biggest ìholidayî for spending on decorations and the like. Also, as the population has gotten older, Christmas gifts are more likely than ever to be ìexperiencesî and not hard goods. Gifts of vacations, travel, and event attendance are consumed year-round. Generally rising affluence, and smaller families, also means that Christmas is less of a focus for spending. The rise in self-employment and changes in corporate pay policies mean that Christmas and holiday bonuses have become less important to many households as part of their total income and plays less of a role in the timing of their spending. The rise of the credit card business also means that Santa can work his special magic at any time of the year.