Q&A The future of printing is green
With over a decade of experience in the industry, Alex Econs, founder of the London T shirt printing company ICON Printing, reflects on 2021 and shares his thoughts on the trends we might see in this year.
Alex Econs, founder of ICON Printing
Q. What are your thoughts on 2021? A. Last year was a rollercoaster for the printing industry as businesses faced huge upheaval and unprecedented financial worries due to COVID. Additionally, Brexit caused massive issues in distribution and the global supply chain and businesses struggled to keep up with the increasing pressure. 2021 saw huge changes in the fashion and printing industry. Brexit reared its ugly head, affecting trade with the rest of Europe and the pandemic continued to have knock on effects on businesses globally Alongside this, CSR and sustainability became focal points as businesses set out to tackle climate change and the unfair working conditions that are seemingly endemic across the industry.
Q. What do you think is the biggest upcoming challenge for suppliers in 2022? A. As cotton shortages affect stock supplies, we expect that there might be disruption in the availability of stock in high volumes. As a company we’re ready for this as we work closely with our clients and consult on the current state – we also work with a range of suppliers so we can either secure stock elsewhere or secure an alternative that’s readily available.
| 22 | March 2022
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
Q. What is the future of sustainability in 2022 and beyond? A. With 49% of shoppers in the UK willing to spend more on sustainable fashion, it’s clear that there is adequate demand for fashion that does away with the traditionally unsustainable practices. An increasing number of our corporate clients are opting for sustainable and fairwear garments (especially suppliers that show a traceable supply chain). In the last quarter of 2021 our share of sustainable garment orders was at 55% with the bulk of these being T shirts and hoodies.
We always offer the choice of a sustainable garment which is a little more expensive and a large number of our clients are happy to spend extra to have premium and sustainable merch for their teams.
Q. What were the main industries investing in business merch in 2021 and do you think this will continue into 2022? A. We’ve seen a large increase in business from tech companies, hospitality and fitness companies, which make up around 70% of our regular
clients. These are companies with strong branding and large numbers of staff, many of which will be keen to get back into business after such a long period of restrictions
Last year we saw a 143% year-on-year increase in T shirts and tote bags being ordered by coffee shops alone. We expect this trend to continue in 2022, as merch is often an essential means for smaller restaurants and bars to build their following and promote their brand.
Q. Are there any design styles that will be popular in 2022? A. A lot of our orders have been minimalist designs – often just a logo on the left breast in the front or a large back print with some design. This is consistent with our clientele – often SMEs that want comfortable uniforms for staff that speaks to the company’s branding.
Similarly, a lot of our screen printed orders have also been minimalist, with simple designs covering a small area of the clothing. This has been a continuing trend across the past few years; clean, easily identifiable logos seem to be much more popular with customers rather than the loud, flashy designs of old.
A lot of ICON Printing’s orders have been minimalist designs
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