In our whirlwind of 2020, everyone is adapting. On demand commerce is bigger than ever. One-off garment demand has not slowed. And now Amazon is in the mix with their latest addition.
Amazon to Buy $400M in Kornit Digital Printing Equipment, Open New Merch by Amazon Facility
Our BrownDigital line of machinery is a solution for a production issue within DTG printing and Brown has benefited from the on-demand increase. However, our smaller community printers have been highly impacted. Their business is face-to-face and relies on local events, schools and tourism. Thanks for the gradual reopening in some states we are seeing those customers printing again. They have gotten a small boost from the mask mandates and this is a new product line for many of them. Brown's new mask platen is a nice solution to making this a profitable product.
One of the largest issues that has affected industrial goods is how to show people what is available. Trade shows have become virtual. Online video presentations do a nice job. But, like buying any large item, many people would prefer to personally see an item run. As an example, in a recent car purchase there were 2 vehicles. They were the same cars, only a sedan versus a hatchback. They were similar mileage and the same age and the same price. The hatchback would have been preferred and if we could only have purchased sight unseen it is what we would have chosen. However, we were able to drive both and the sedan was a better choice. So when selling large ticket items, most people would prefer to see what they are buying.
Brown and BrownDigital have spent time establishing customer connections so that there is confidence that what we manufacture is well designed and will be well supported. However, we are looking forward to in-person sales events. Contracts for these events are signed and we know that the hosts are spending time creating a safe environment for visitors. But will they come?
The pondering of this whole conversation is how to move either back to in-person sales events or how to present large ticket items in a remote world. As time passes and more time becomes available, Brown will be presenting more video information for both new items and repair tips. Let us know what you would like to see.
