Special Report
From disruption to resilience: How printers can strengthen supply chains
The business ecosystem is a very volatile place with lots of outside factors affecting supply chanis in small or large ways. Samantha Overton, managing director of Zebra Print Group discusses how to keep the ship afloat amid industry uncertainty.
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upply chain disruption has become one of the defining challenges facing the print industry over the past few years. From paper shortages and shipping delays to rising material costs and fluctuating energy prices, printers across the UK have had to adapt quickly to an increasingly unpredictable landscape. For businesses operating in sectors like printwear and promotional products, where turnaround times are often tight, and customer expectations remain high, these pressures can have a direct impact on profitability, customer relationships and operational efficiency. At Zebra Print Group, we’ve experienced many of these challenges firsthand. Like much of the industry, we’ve had to rethink how we source materials, manage lead times and strengthen supplier relationships in order to maintain service levels and protect both our business and our customers.
Think about the long-term
While disruption is unlikely to disappear entirely, the past few years have taught us some valuable lessons about resilience, communication and long-term thinking.
One of the biggest changes we’ve seen is the shift away from purely cost-driven purchasing decisions. Historically, many businesses understandably focused heavily on securing the lowest possible price. But recent years have highlighted the risks of relying too heavily on a small number of suppliers or sourcing routes purely because they appear cheaper on paper. When supply chains tightened globally, availability quickly became just as important as price. Suddenly, printers were competing for stock, delivery times became unreliable, and some materials simply weren’t available when needed. That experience reinforced the importance of building a diverse and dependable supplier network. At Zebra Print Group, we’ve worked hard to strengthen relationships with multiple trusted
Samantha Overton, managing director of Zebra Print Group
| 40 | June 2026
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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