Point-of-sale specialist is capitalising on innovation in the third dimension

Like its 3D pop-up display stands, CRP Print & Packaging's multidimensional outlook on the market has helped the Northamptonshire-based business stand tall during difficult financial times.

"Because of our ownership structure we feel we can move more quickly than publicly listed companies. We make decisions, then see them put into place immediately. The bottom line is that, when there are too many cogs in a business, the customer loses out," says Dev Brahmachari, sales and marketing director of the Northants-based business.

It is this specialism in 3D products, from large pallet containers down to chocolate boxes that leads managing director, Eddie Fellows, to single the company out in a PoS market that has gone flat, both metaphorically and literally.

"There is over-saturation in the PoS market. Too many companies are offering the same services and struggling to come up with a unique selling point. However, there are still relatively few companies that specialise in 3D PoS, so we can keep our margins."

CRP's most innovative product is a pop-up display stand that can be assembled in around 20 seconds. The product, developed nine years ago, addresses the problem of wastage in PoS sector, where PoS material is sent to a store but never erected, often because the company or store that it has been sent to struggles to put it together.

Brahmachari says: "It alleviates problems of unit point assembly in store, making life easy for the brand owner. The product is up in seconds and it requires no origami skills."

Brand builder
Fellows says that the bulk of CRP's clients are blue chip operators, with very high-profile brands. In order to maintain their all-important brand loyalty, they need to keep their public image noticeable and consistent. Having these customers on board has proved a blessing for CRP during the difficult financial climate.

"These first-tier companies tend to keep up their spend during recessions, whereas problems may come for second- and third-sector businesses," he says.

For Brahmachari the focus is squarely on meeting customers' needs. He explains: "Once we win business we look after it really well. Our basic aim is to grow our revenue, and we have very little churn. Big companies, such as Mars, can spend hundreds of thousands per year so we need to ensure that they are catered for in a professional manner."

CRP uses litho, digital and screen to produce its items, working with clients to decide upon the most economical method to meet their needs. The company often uses a variety of methods on one job. For example, the block colours on a 3D PoS unit will be produced using screen, with finer detail, such as photography, added using digital printing.

The selected tool for this digital printing comes in the form of a FastJet press, installed as the result of a joint venture with ink manufacturer Sun Chemical and digital press manufacturer Inca. The machine is designed to print on corrugated substrates and solid board up to 9mm thick in one pass, with speeds of up to 3,000 sheets per hour.

Brahmachari says the press is as fast as a flexo printer, but with unlimited flexibility in terms of design changes. He adds: "The technology allows our customers to create a new image, proof it on the press and launch it to market instantaneously.

"Photographic images, high-gloss prints and colour consistency are all achieved at a fraction of the cost and time of screen or litho printing with no origination costs."

Digital technology also allows CRP to personalise its products to cater for different languages, whilst keeping the core design of its offerings. This ability is likely to come in useful in the future, with Brahmachari predicting an increase in pan-European campaigns as markets become more globalised.

The wine trade, a market where having your product at the forefront is critical, has also embraced digital. The sector puts a big emphasis on maintaining brand image and alerting customers to special offers, making digital printing ideal for these short-run, fast-moving promotions.

"Wine companies are great customers because 3D display provides a great way to make a product stand out, drawing a customer's attention to special deals," says Brahmachari. "When buying wine, people are always looking for deals."
CRP is staying at the vanguard of the 3D PoS industry by meeting its customer's needs to remain at the forefront of their sectors. Its combination of the right technology, management structure and continued innovation has proved to be a recession-busting recipe.

CRP FACTFILE
Managing director Eddie Fellows
Sales director Dev Bramachari
Based Northamptonshire
Turnover £18m
Specialism 3D PoS
Kit Includes an Inca FastJet digital press, litho and flexographic equipment
Customers predominantly blue chip FTSE 100