2008-07-17 03:00:00
Print Centers in the US Invited to Sign Up for Free and Join the Print
Evolution
LONDON–(EMWNews)–Earthtone today announced the launch of the first non-proprietary
e-commerce platform connecting businesses and professionals to local
print centers across the US.
Building on the explosion in the mobile workforce and businesses’
shift to online procurement, Earthtone offers print centers a
high-visibility online storefront and a range of value-added features
that enable them to acquire lucrative new customers from the Internet.
Earthtone eliminates the risks with its value proposition to print
centers by not charging any upfront or ongoing fees and actively drives
new customers to its network of print centers.
“Online shopping is revolutionizing the way
that buyers and sellers interact across industries. With online print
procurement forecasted to reach 45% before the end of the decade, print
centers that want to reap the benefits of this trend will have to offer
increasingly discerning online customers a shopping experience that
meets their expectations,” says Nader
Alaghband, Earthtone’s Founder and CEO.
David Reid, Co-Founder and COO of Earthtone, adds: “The
fragmented nature of ‘Big-Box’
brands’ web-to-print solutions is problematic
for customers who are used to shopping on eBay, Amazon or Expedia and
who expect an equally enjoyable and efficient experience when they come
to buy prints. Until now, PSPs have been being asked to make a
significant upfront investment for an online storefront that new
customers can’t find easily and that existing
customers don’t like and don’t
use.”
Buyers benefit from an emphasis on user experience and robust and highly
secure features that position Earthtone’s
network at the cutting edge of e-commerce best practice, allow locally
focused independent, and franchise printers to compete with big-box
brands for online business.
Earthtone is offering early-adopter benefits to print centers that sign
up before its September launch to print buyers, and invites print
centers across the US to find out more by visiting www.earthtone.net
or contacting Earthtone directly by email at [email protected].
Market Opportunity
In the U.S. alone, copy centers, quick printers and in-plant operations
produce $25.24 billion in annual revenue, approximately half of which
can be attributed to digital color. Earthtone seeks to capitalize on a
number of trends, including:
The mobility explosion
-
20% annual growth in the mobile workforce in the US
-
50% increase in laptop sales each year with 160M already deployed
-
Ubiquitous public Internet access and advances in computing
technologies
-
“Always Connected”
culture
The need for easy access to local printing locations
-
73% of mobile professionals identify printers as the technology most
missed outside the office
-
94% of workers deem printers as an essential technology –
more than the Internet or telephones!
The shift to e-procurement by business buyers
-
41% of businesses’ printing is done “off
contract”
-
25% of the business of the largest corporate focused print centers
comes from the Internet
-
Leading web-only print service providers are generating $80M revenue
after only a few years in operation
By delivering a convenient and user-optimized access point to a large
network of printers, Earthtone seeks to channel the opportunity that
this burgeoning market represents to print centers on its network.
Earthtone’s Service Proposition
Earthtone’s e-commerce platform connects print centers to the rapidly
growing online printing market and provides them with the tools they
need to capitalize on the explosion in online printing.
Search engine optimized online storefronts deliver online visibility
while location mapping helps customers find local print centers; and
value-adding features – including online payment, support for over 100
file formats and fully integrated shipping –
reducing transaction costs while enabling locally focused print centers
on the network acquire national accounts.
Earthtone’s platform supports all print
centers, irrespective of the technologies they already employ and
enables them to set their own pricing and retain their own branding.
Earthtone’s Commercial Proposition
Earthtone’s commercial model removes the
risks with a proposition to print centers that charges nothing to set up
an online storefront. Print centers pay no ongoing fees, with Earthtone
charging a small commission on volume for business that it drives to its
network through an ambitious end-user marketing campaign.
Earthtone is offering significant discounts to print centers that sign
up to the service before the end of August.
Earthtone launches to print sellers in July and to print buyers in
September.
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