November 2022

Print output and orders held firm in Q3

Expectations for q4 have deteriorated as confidence falters

Stronger than expected growth in orders and output helped the UK printing and printed packaging industry's continued recovery in Q3 - but the forecast for Q4 is downbeat as confidence expectations continue to slide. Frequent input cost increases, shocks over the cost of new energy supply contracts and heightened uncertainty due to political and economic turmoil in the UK has damaged confidence ahead of a normally bullishly anticipated Q4 period.

The latest Printing Outlook survey reveals that 43% of printers managed to increase their output levels in the third quarter of 2022, a further 41% were able to hold output steady. However, the remaining 16% did experience a decline in their output levels. The resulting balance (the difference between the ups and the downs) was +27, below the +37 in Q2, but above the Q3 forecast (+19). A sixth consecutive quarter of positive output growth is very welcome but is of course attributed to the sharp Covid-enforced decline in 2020, and the continued recovery from that.