August Sales Show Largest Monthly Decline on Record

Sales fell 9.1% in August for the NAPL Printing Business Panel, the largest monthly decline on record, the fourth consecutive drop, and the sixth decline in seven months. Sales are down 1.6% year-to-date and up just 0.4% over the last 12 months. During the same two periods last year, sales were up 6.9% and 6.1%, respectively.

Sales will weaken further as the effects of September 11 spread through the economy. Just 21.6% of the printers NAPL surveys report business picked up in September, while 48.8% saw a slowdown. In contrast, August was the first month in nearly a year that more printers said business was picking up (38.1%) versus slowing down (35.2%).

Print sales will decline as much as 2.5% this year and as much as 1.6% during the first half of 2002, according to NAPL, adding that a vigorous upturn will begin during the second half of next year and continue through 2003.