Is the local print and ship shop dying or a pivot opportunity?

professional profile

November 08, 2025

by a professional from Columbia University in Garden City, NY, USA

I’m curious about your thoughts on the viability of local print and ship shops as acquisition targets. Would you avoid them or use them as a platform to pivot to more profitable specialty services?
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Reply by a professional
from Liberty University in Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Most of what you would be buying is the customer list, and some equipment. I normally recommend for searchers to buy a business in a field they are knowledgeable in. If you have a specialty service you already know, selling and profiting off that will be much easier than at a print shop (usually). If you make a mistake because you are not good knowledgeable about printing operations and lose a large customer, you would be in a tough spot.
commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
in United States
Not sure about the specifics of the business you're looking at. It depends based on what the company is printing, so hard to make sweeping generalizations. I worked on a sell-side deal pre-covid of a larger commercial printing company. We went out to ~230 buyers and no one bought. Tough business to exit. Dying business as the world has gone digital. I wouldn't recommend a pivot thesis in that industry.
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