PAPER
evolve. “Some customers are now looking for premium paper – with quality gsm, texture and finish – for when they print as documents are more often kept,” she says. “Paper as a topic is massive with the different thicknesses, colours, sizes and finishes. Offices may use letterhead, continuation, plain and internal, which would usually be recycled paper as its not customer facing. All of which will be different weights, and all carry different price points. “The only thing the different paper types have in common is that they are not cheap! Premium paper is like the good China – kept for best!” But Steve Carter, managing director of Advantia Business Solutions, adds that while paper mills would love there to be large increases in demand for A- and B-grade paper, it isn’t there currently. “At the minute, the paper mills are making a lot of white box paper because they've got a lot of capacity, as the demand for A and B grades just isn't there,” he says. “Our dealers who buy paper by the container load are still buying plenty of paper but it's C-grade paper.” Paper pricing But with the amount of white box paper being produced, it does mean that paper prices have returned to normal, having
increased about two years ago due to strikes at some of the European paper mills creating a shortage, Steve notes. “Once that paper shortage cleared up, you started to see prices coming back down again,” he adds. “And that's what they did through the course of last year and they've levelled out now. There's no urge from the mills to put it back up. The paper merchants would like to see it go back up, but as the mills are all abroad, they haven't got the increases coming through on minimum wage and NI in April, which the merchants here have. However, increases in paper prices are always mill-driven.” Steve adds that, having spoken to paper merchants, there is no sign of an increase in price on the horizon. “What tends to happen is one of the mills will dip their toe in the water and talk about increases, and then they'll wait to see whether anyone else follows. If other mills do, then they'll put an increase through. But if they don't, then they won't go out on a limb and do it themselves. “At the minute, there's no indication of any price increases coming through. Prices have plateaued and I think they will probably stay plateaued for a while before you start to see some increases come through. But things can change, as we know from recent years.”
Michelle Lawton account director – print
exertis.co.uk
“
The only thing the different paper types have in common is that they are not cheap! Premium paper is like the good China – kept for best!
”
CONTINUED
printinthechannel.co.uk
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