Online Printing Made a Definitive Breakthrough In The Netherlands

Westerbroek, 8 July 2020 – The fastest-growing online printer in the Netherlands, Reclameland, achieved a turnover of almost €23 million in 2019 and a profit of more than €1 million. To accelerate further growth, the Westerbroek, Groningen-based printer invested nearly 20 million euros in a second production hall and state-of-the-art machines, including the Kornit Atlas system for industrial direct-to-garment (DTG) production on demand, in the past year.

Now the second-largest business of its type in the Netherlands, Reclameland’s workforce grew from 150 to 180 (including stand-by workers) in the past year, which means the majority of production could happen in-house. Together they processed about 400,000 orders for both private and business customers. The strong growth in online behaviour of both consumers and businesses translates into a strong increase in the online ordering of printed matter. “E-commerce is the company’s rocket engine,” says Wouter Haan, CEO of Reclameland. “In peak periods, we are sometimes even on 2.000 orders per day—a challenging process as we do everything in-house. We still have to print, cut, finish and pack the product before it is shipped. ”

Purchase of machines

The company is growing strongly. Compared to 2015, last year’s turnover grew by 164 percent. According to Haan, 2019 marked the definitive breakthrough of online printing. He is confident this growth will continue in the coming years. “That is why we have purchased all kinds of machines for substantial amounts in recent years, so that we could add new products to the range, among other things. Think of machines with which we make stickers on a roll, can print buttons, but also small quantities of envelopes. By continuously innovating we can serve every type of customer. ”

Reclameland delivers to both companies and consumers. More than 500,000 customers are now registered in Westerbroek and about 7,500 people are added every month. The majority of customers are business customers. On average, they spend almost twice as much as private individuals. Based on the total number of over 400,000 orders placed in 2019, flyers are the most sought-after printed matter. They determine 12 percent of the turnover. Business cards (8 percent), posters (6 percent), roll-up banners (4 percent), and banners (3 percent) complete the top five.

Having established itself as a total print solutions provider for signage, banners, posters, flags, and other digitally printed textiles, Reclameland’s addition of Kornit technology empowers them to imprint more than a thousand garments per day with a single operator, meeting the retail quality, wash and light fastness, and sustainability standards of the world’s largest apparel brands.

Trends

A clear trend CEO Haan sees is the increasing sales of so-called “sign products,” products for advertising and promotion purposes. Sheet materials, banners, and roll-up banners, among other things, are popular. The sale of photos on canvas is fast for private individuals, especially around Mother’s Day and Christmas. Personalized mugs (with text) are also popular. “Printing your photo on aluminum has definitely made a breakthrough. That has really become mainstream,” concludes Haan. Since the beginning of March, the growth of coronavirus-related products has been noticeable, such as floor stickers and buttons with which retailers and catering establishments draw attention to a distance of 1.5 metres.

Reclameland foresees further growth, especially when the event industry will soon start running again. To be prepared, the online printer has put a new production hall of 25,000 square metres into use. This brings the total business area to 35,000 square metres. In this way, Reclameland will be able to process more large orders in a short time in the coming years and continue to grow.

5-metre banners

For this new hall, various high-tech machines have been purchased, which not only enables the company to work faster, but also expands the range. “For example, we are able to print banners of 5 metres instead of 2.5 metres wide, also double-sided. And we can print a larger volume of flags. This year we also installed a shirt press worth more than 500,000 euros that can print 180 unique shirts, polos, or sweaters per hour. Such a machine, with that speed, is nowhere in the Benelux region. “

In the first five months of 2020, coronavirus has had a clear impact on the Reclameland. Part of the turnover fell, especially shortly after the outbreak of the virus. In the third week of March, the low point, sales plummeted by more than 50 percent. After that, there was a lot of demand for one-half metre products, such as stickers, buttons, and roll-up banners that were used as a partition by the catering and retail sectors.

About Reclameland

Reclameland in Westerbroek, Groningen, is the fastest-growing online printing company in the Netherlands. The printing company was founded in 2008 by the Groningen entrepreneur Wouter Haan and has held the number two position in the market since 2015. Reclameland distinguishes itself by producing all printed matter in-house. The customer has her things at home or at the office the next day. Reclameland achieved a turnover of €23 million last year. The online printing company has about 180 employees, including standby workers. More than 500,000 customers are registered. Every year, the company prints more than 50 million flyers for both companies and individuals. In addition to flyers, Reclameland also supplies stationery, stickers, business cards, and envelopes. Reclameland falls under parent company Simian.