Lexington, KY - WhatTheyThink, the leading online media organization serving the printing and publishing industry, today announced the availability of their most current report titled “North American Monthly Printing Shipments, Issue #63.” This report is free to Premium Members of WhatTheyThink.

This report is available for immediate purchase for others at:
https://store.whattheythink.com/monthly-u-s-printing-shipments

December 2010 commercial printing shipments were $7.48 billion, up $347 million (+4.9%) compared to 2009. Adjusting for inflation, shipments were up +3.3%. This brought the year's shipments to $86.7 billion. “Despite a dreadful first quarter, where shipments compared to Q1 of 2009 were down -5.7%, the US commercial printing business had nine months of improved sales. Those months were up +3.2% compared to the same period of 2009,” explained Dr. Joe Webb, director of WhatTheyThink's Economics and Research Center. “We must keep in mind that our industry was just short of $100 billion in 2008, and it's not likely we will get back to those levels. But our industry has restructured, weak companies had no choice but to leave or be acquired, leaving healthier companies with better bottom lines.”

Dr. Webb stated that the industry should consider this as breathing room to get ready for another wave of technological competition. “One of the hallmarks of healthy companies is that they position themselves for the next change in the marketplace. It is likely that these remaining firms will be more successful in changing their product offerings and have better insights into needed productivity. The pressures for consolidation continue, but so do the pressures for innovation and superior management.”

The latest report includes a discussion of December's shipments, Canada's November shipments, and updated forecasts for the US industry to 2016.

The North American Monthly Printing Shipments Report contains both current and inflation-adjusted analysis of commercial printing and print services shipments, for the U.S. and Canada, and forecasts for 2009 through 2016. Forecasts are updated every month, and changes are discussed in the report, which is comprised of Adobe PDF, Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint files, and an MP3 file of audio commentary from Dr. Webb. The cost of the report is $50.00. Those purchasing the report can easily repurpose the charts and data in presentations, webinars, and other reports.

The report contains significant and proprietary analysis and by Dr. Webb and WhatTheyThink's Economics and Research Center. It is a top-level analysis of the U.S. commercial printing and trade services markets such as commercial offset, digital, and other printing processes, as well as prepress and postpress contained in the standard business classification NAICS 323.

https://store.whattheythink.com/monthly-u-s-printing-shipments

WhatTheyThink's Economics and Research Center contains a blend of free and premium content for graphic arts and publishing executives. It offers an online library of primary research reports, executive summaries of economic trends, and related industry columns, videos, podcasts and webinars.

About WhatTheyThink

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading online media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. Serving a membership base of more than 50,000, WhatTheyThink also hosts webinars and live events as well as providing content through a syndication program, which delivers content directly to related websites and through RSS. The organization also provides consulting and speakers bureau services to the industry.