Page 8 - BOSS Today Issue 19

Special Report - Binding and laminating

THE ICING ON THE
CAKE

Specialist OP market researcher Martin Wilde finds continued
innovation and initiative in the binding and laminating market.

LAMINATORS popular applications include Centre (www.fellowes.com/ retail/consumer end of the
indoor signage, certificates, ideascentre), which offers market which has seen the
hile unit demand for organisational, presentation suggestions and templates for greatest penetration by private
Wlaminators peaked and notice board materials. lamination projects in schools, label products; indeed, this now
about four years ago, the rate n At home the main items in the home and at work under accounts for around 20-25% of
of decline in demand is now laminated are photos, the strapline ‘It’s not finished until overall market value. However,
bottoming out as the UK pulls greetings cards, recipes and it’s laminated!’ In the work sector there is no doubt that this has
slowly out of recession. Overall, children’s artwork. (which accounts for about £5m also had the effect of widening
the market is very significant: of machines sales each year), this accessibility to these products,
laminating machine sales alone Being the teacher’s pet includes ideas for organisation since it is now possible to buy
are now worth £12-13m at user As Darryl Brunt, Sales and and signage applications - a private label or unbranded
buying price (UBP) annually; Marketing Director: UK and catching the industry trend laminator for less than £15 in
add to that the c£23m at UBP Ireland for Fellowes, reports, it towards FM supplies noted in some supermarkets.
that is generated by sales of is the education sector where the last issue of BOSS Today,
consumables, such as pouches the use of - and demand for and stimulating UK businesses Keeping it in the middle
(volume demand for these tends - laminating machines is now to re-consider what a laminator Around half of the value of the
to be fairly steady year on year), particularly strong: “Teachers can be used for in a commercial market is still accounted for
and the overall sector is now continue to download and environment. by mid-market products (A4
worth around £35m at UBP. laminate teaching resources, and and A3 pouch laminators with
Indeed, an attitudes and this is one area where Fellowes Bringing it home a speed of 31-45 cm/minute,
usage study conducted by have been particularly active Another trend which has been designed for general office use
Fellowes in 2012, covering many recently. We now offer teachers significantly growing over the and capable of 80-125 micron
working environments and over a free one year subscription to past few years is the amount laminating), with the majority of
15 industries and sectors, found Teacher’s Pet (www.tpet.co.uk), of people now working from the remainder being entry level
that these products remain both an on-line resource of teaching home, with binding and products (fixed temperature 80
popular and widely-used: images, displays, games and laminating products hence micron pouch laminators with a
n 66% of the sample saw materials, when they buy one of being used in a home office speed of 25-35 cm/minute and
their laminator as an ‘essential our laminators.” environment. Indeed, the very designed for home and very
tool’. significant home sector is now small office use). The premium
n 75% of consumers use Ideas drive demand worth another c£5m at UBP and sector (four and six roller 250
their laminator on a daily or Inspired by consumer input, reported to be very robust in micron capable machines, with
weekly basis. the company has also recently volume terms year on year. faster warm-up and laminating
n At work, the most launched a Laminating Ideas Inevitably, it has been at the speeds) takes the rest.

8 BOSS TODAY | October 2013

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