A potential game-changer in the way publishers supply their cards to Scribbler, the specialist card retailer has pressed the button on a trial whereby publishers’ cards are being printed on demand by The Imaging Centre, using the printers Simplicity system, and delivered straight to store.
The trial, now underway in all four of its Scottish stores, involves 48 card designs from eight different card publishers.
This is the first time The Imaging Centre’s Simplicity system is being activated by a retailer (through Scribbler’s own portal), albeit with the total agreement of the participating publishers.
All being well this supply arrangement is to be extended just after Father’s Day to Scribbler’s top eight stores, involving 147 designs from a diversity of publishers.
“By the end of year we expect that 20% of the cards we stock will be supplied this way,” John Procter, co-founder of Scribbler told PG Buzz. “It makes so much sense on lots of fronts –importantly it is environmentally-friendly as there is no waste, no full warehouses full of stock for us or for the publishers; it means we need never be out of stock of best sellers as well as being able to offer very regional designs that drill down in the local pride of an area,” John added, highlighting how Scottish flavoured designs from Gie It Laldy and Claire Barclay are part of the initial trial.
Andrew Webb, Scribbler buyer who has been very involved in the technological logistics of this new development said: “The response we have had from publishers has been incredibly positive. We already have 20 publishers (involving some 400 designs) loaded onto the site so are ready to roll and more will follow.”
Under this new supply model, publishers are paid a royalty for each card printed and sent to a Scribbler store using the Simplicity system.
This whole new arrangement was sparked by a talk that John Procter gave at The Ladder Club in November 2017 to newbie and emerging publishers in which he vocalised how he believed there had to be ways of improving the supply chain in the card industry.
As a longtime sponsor of The Ladder Club, The Imaging Centre’s directors Bob and Adam Short were in the audience. “Recognising that John shared our vision for the future and the improvements to efficiency print on demand offers we immediately made contact. We are delighted to be part of the trial as it demonstrates the potential of Simplicity,” said Adam Short, md of The Imaging Centre.
Scribbler joins 320 card publishers (as well as Irish card distributor MEG) now using the Simplicity system, which works whereby the publisher can set to print cards for a specific retailer order and the cards are then sent straight to the customer.
“We launched Simplicity three years ago at PG Live and at this year’s show one in four of all the exhibitors are using it,” confirmed Adam.
The Imaging Centre is running a prize draw at PG Live. Publishers going on the stand will be entered into the draw to win some printed stock. First prize £200 worth, second prize £100 worth and third prize £50 worth. The Imaging Centre will be on Stand 821 at PG Live next Tuesday (4 June) and Wednesday (5 June).
