Step into any AZORTE store and you will be greeted by a digitally-driven, dynamic environment with screens that usher in a futuristic store experience. It was part of a conscious decision by the brand to leverage technology in order to convey the brand attributes and resonate better with its target audience. This meant redefining its VM approach with a greater digital skew. But for a brand that has gone predominantly digital, printed graphics do continue to be part of the in-store communications, though for very specific reasons.  

As Hari Krishnan, GM/Head of Visual Merchandising (VM) at AZORTE, told Retail4Growth in an exclusive conversation, “We do have portions of our in-store communications that are printed and used more for permanent branding and similar such requirements. These are not changed often, possibly only once in three to six months; and they carry a premium look and feel.” 

Ensuring a premium look and feel means that the brand uses very specific kind of printing material. As Hari explained, “We use magnet prints; which are magnet sheets that come with the print and pasted on a metal base. Not only do they carry a premium look, they are also not commonly used in larger sizes.”

Elaborating further on the overall trend in retail when it comes to printed in-store graphics, Hari says, “Vinyls are slowly going out and it’s mostly fabrics that retailers use today. The overall need is for newer media.”  However, he shares that finding print vendor partners with the capability for new media like magnet printing does pose challenges. “Once usage increases, the availability of vendors with the capability will also increase,” he adds. 

Evaluating printing vendor partners 

For a brand like AZORTE, onboarding of printing vendors and pricing are centrally managed based on certain evaluation criteria. Explaining this, Hari says, “We mainly look for those who can afford to take on scale, both in terms of print sizes and quantity, for example at least 1 lakh sq feet of area. The print quality is generally assessed based on small quantity testing. Serviceability is also an important factor. Generally, professional vendors who deal with bigger brands don’t compromise, but new vendors who are not familiar with the market, tend to compromise on the quality of output.”

Message to printing vendors 

Further sharing his views on how the print ecosystem can evolve, he says, “Vendors have to realise where we are heading; they need to understand new trends and be aware of new print media, especially in terms of aspects like being eco-friendly and ease of execution.” “Vendors have to take the risk of investing in new media capability as per the new trends,” he adds. 

Sustainability as a factor 

Indeed, with the growing criticality of sustainability as a factor and the need to follow environmentally responsible practices, brands are increasingly for printing media and partners who can align with their sustainability goals, while also ensuring cost efficiency. “There is a need to balance sustainability with cost, and the best solution is one that can marry both,” points out Hari. 

Further, summing up his thoughts on the future of print as a medium for in-store communications, Hari says, “Many EBOs are moving towards digital screens, especially for table-top screens, and there will be a reduction in the use of printed media. But if we get good quality, eco-friendly options, then printed media is here to stay for a longer time.”