Polestar will hold a supplier summit in London at the end of the month.

Some 100 suppliers from all areas paper, consumables, services and utilities are understood to have been invited.

Polestar chairman Nick Bryan is keen to maximise the 494m groups spending power, and specialist consultants have been employed to advise Polestar on forging strategic purchasing alliances.

However, suppliers are treating the event with caution. If this were St Ives or Quebecor wed be full of the joys of spring and dead keen to attend, said one. But it isnt.

Its predicted that Polestar could offer single-source deals in return for a reduction in their outstanding debt, but suppliers are unlikely to welcome such a move, Our margins are not sufficient to allow us to even consider that option, said one consumables manufacturer.

Some also fear a backlash from other large print groups that believe Polestar is granted special terms, allowing it to achieve competitive benefits in the marketplace.

They are fed up with effectively supporting Polestar, which receives extended credit and then takes that to market, he said. A lot of people have a lot of money outstanding, and are not being paid to terms. Effectively, thats like a further discount and suppliers cant afford that anymore.
A source at a one print group said he could not imagine how difficult it must be for the purchasing people at Polestar, having to contend with limited funds for paying your creditors.