Printing.com has a "vision" for franchisees

PRINTING.COM, the Trafford Park-based printing hub which offers its services through a network of franchise stores, will unveil details of a new plan to help its embattled franchisees.

The company’s chairman, George Hardie, will tell shareholders at company’s AGM in Manchester later today that it has developed a new strategy, Vision 2015 – a key part of which appears to be allowing them to sell “web-to-print” services to customers.

This will allow clients to design their own stationery through Printing.com templates and then pick them up at their nearest franchise outlet.

” We believe that by adding these systems, greater efficiencies can be realised, making the business model more robust and sustainable,” said Hardie.

“We also believe that the template based solution will open up new markets, in particular larger businesses and multi-site operators. Incorporating these elements will add, we believe, to the appeal of the various Printing.com franchise formats.”

Hardie said that the service will be rolled out during the second half of its financial year to March 2011.

He added that since the firm published its annual results last month, trading has continued to “undulate”. However, he described conditions over the past six weeks as being “slightly softer” than in April and May.

“Given the continued uncertainty about the economic situation, it remains appropriate to maintain a cautious stance in the short term,” he said.