January offers a taste of things to come in a momentous year
While coronavirus was still largely considered a problem in other countries back in January, in what was perhaps a sign of things to come the year started off with a glut of insolvencies and M&A deals.
Cash proves to be king in February’s headlines
The demise of Leicester print group Taylor Bloxham was the most read story in 2020 after the historic firm ran out of cash, while cash, albeit in terms of illicit payments, also took centre stage in the Anton fraud trial.
Help for heroes as print steps up in March
Unsurprisingly, just as the impact of Covid-19 was really beginning to be felt in the UK, so was its effect on print and while some battened down the hatches, others, like Prime Group, stepped up to the plate to offer help.
Print on the box in April
One media channel embraced another as printers secured their 15-minutes of fame, while former Polestar execs, perhaps less willingly, find themselves in the Printweek spotlight again.
Masks become May’s must-have accessory
While the world changes rapidly and printers start pivoting to mask manufacturing, some things remain constant as Paragon continues with its ambitious growth strategy by buying struggling SPOT while Helloprint grabs a lifeline and Drupa’s woes mount up.
The cutbacks begin in June, as do the ‘Drupa’ launches
While vendors battle for attention for their planned Drupa launches, the cutbacks began across some of print’s biggest players as the end briefly loomed for the furlough scheme, but one departure in particular draws attention as HP Indigo loses its biggest fan.
July duly delivers for Royal Mail and HH steps up after mega merger
The industry continues to reshape, Royal Mail heralds the Covid parcels boom, although it later discovers you can have too much of a good thing, HH Global swallows up a bigger rival and Argos consigns its catalogue to history.
Covid impact and good news grab the August headlines
Our round-up of the most read news from August, where investments and, unsurprisingly, the impact of Covid-19 were the hottest topics.
The word of the month in September… mega
Mega mergers continue and mega contracts land, but while the good news is welcomed the industry’s trade bodies issue a joint clarion call to government to support the sector to prevent its decimation.
October’s biggest news dominated by insolvencies and M&A
The sad situation at Westdale dominated October's news, but our round-up of the most read stories from last month highlights that even in these troubled times there are still companies positioning themselves for growth.
Thieves steal the November top slot
A Facebook appeal for info after a vehicle wrapper was hit by a targeted theft was far and away the biggest story of the month, despite news of major investments, contract wins and product launches proving welcome distractions from lockdown 2.
Traditional goodwill in short supply in December
The trials and tribulations of retailers at what should be their busiest time of year dominated December headlines, but so did the big ‘D’ which finally succumbed to the domino effect of exhibitor withdrawals and cancelled 2021’s Drupa.
