Printify, the transparent print on-demand provider network, completed its “Print It” survey, fielded by over 5,000 of Printify’s global customer base, to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting up-and-coming entrepreneurs from around the world, reasoning that print-on-demand could be the canary in the coal mine to determine economic activity.
Despite the current economic downturn and uncertainty associated with the pandemic, many Printify users remain optimistic about the economy. Almost a quarter (24.6%) think the economy is improving in the US. Their experience as online merchants has clearly impacted their longer-term career outlook, as 39% of Printify customers say that COVID-19 has made them reevaluate their life choices, and 30% say they are now willing to take more risks. What’s more, 44% are not planning to return to a normal “nine-to-five” job following the coronavirus pandemic.
The company discovered that 72% use Printify as a “side hustle,” while a quarter (25%) use it as a primary source of income. More than half of American users polled (54%) said they use Printify because they like the freedom of owning their own business and want to be their own boss (53%). Some 47% also use it to showcase their own art. In addition, 28% of those who use Printify say it is because they prefer purchasing one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories.
When it comes to merchants who operate their own stores using Printify, 60% of users say that competition has increased recently, stating they’ve seen more online merchants selling products. Some 45% say there’s been an increase in demand since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 37% reporting that the most common and popular subjects for imprints and designs are motivational sayings, followed by seasonal imprints and sayings (26%). Other current and popular designs for imprinted items include:
- Animals – 23%
- Black Lives Matter – 23%
- Coronavirus and COVID-19 – 17%
- Music and bands – 16%
- LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/non-affiliated) – 15%
“While small business activity is the best barometer for the health of any economy, it has always been hard to track, which is why we thought we should survey our own customer base to get a sense of what they’re seeing,” said Printify founder and chief executive officer James Berdigans. “To that end, we are cautiously optimistic. In fact, we have seen 304% year-over-year growth ourselves. People are enthusiastic about Printify because they can use our platform to share their own creative ideas with the world and at the same time become masters of their own economic destiny by becoming independent businesspeople.”
About Printify
Designed to help online merchants make more money in a simple and easy way, Printify is a print-on-demand drop shipping platform. Printify allows users to pick, customize and manufacture hundreds of products – including apparel, accessories and home décor – and sell those items on leading e-commerce platforms, including eBay, Etsy and Shopify. Printify offers users simple setup and connection to more than 90 print provider locations for maximum speed and flexibility. Customers can use Printify’s HQ Mockup Generator to create custom printed products with their designs, and Printify manages manufacturing and direct shipping of completed products to end customers. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Printify is a portfolio company of Bling Capital. For more information, please visit: https://printify.com/.
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