Print Growth Expected Among Select Markets

Finance, services, capital equipment, government, and consumer packaged goods will expand relatively quicker than the rest of the economy through the end of next year.

As an economic expansion evolves, it moves away from an initial spending spurt for housing, inventory, and consumer durable goods, which make up a relatively small share of the whole economy, to more modest growth in other economic sectors. Printing growth will reflect these trends, with small, regional, and specialized printers experiencing changes in demand based on the types of customers they normally serve.

While all print buyers will be spurred by the stronger economy, relatively weak gains will occur in these markets: mortgage and real estate brokers, home builders (but not other contractors), auto dealers, and other hard goods consumer retailers. The markets with the best growth potential include: financial services, business services, equipment manufacturers and their distributors and suppliers, the consumer packaged goods sector from factory suppliers through retailers, local consumer services, and state and local governments.

What the more active sectors have in common is their reliance for more sales on broad-based income growth. Such a sustainable boost in income is now in place as a result of the hiring that began a year ago to rebuild inventories, expand consumer durable goods production, and build more homes.