Print Solutions
Creating a successful business isn’t just about developing and selling a product – true success lies in making the customer experience as simple and fast as possible. Bristol based online store, StickerShop is living proof that simplicity and reliability are important factors for business growth and, with the help of Roland DG equipment, it is taking the business to new heights.
StickerShop was founded in January 2017 by directors Shane Pritchard, Calum Baker and Martin Baker. With a background in commercial print, they started the business from a solid foundation of technical expertise with their first printer, the Soljet Pro 3 XC-540.
But print wasn’t their only passion – the StickerShop team are also keen web developers and they used these skills to create a clean, user friendly e-commerce platform for the business. The hard work put into developing theionline presence paid off as they soon discovered a need to boost their production.
In an effort to expand the capabilities, the company bought its first TrueVis VG-640 in November 2017, followed a year later by another VG-640, both purchased through authorised Roland dealer, PrintMax.
StickerShop started out with a clear and distinct goal and it worked hard to align every element of the business with that goal. By managing its own website, it can tweak the customer journey and keep it as streamlined as possible. This approach has been so effective that the company currently receives over 50 orders per day, and it needs equipment that lets it fulfil those orders in a speedy and reliable fashion.
‘We have a commitment to get a proof ready within 2 hours of receiving an order and to dispatch the finished stickers within 48 hours,’ explained Shane. ‘To do that, we need reliable machines which can produce stickers and labels as quickly as possible without compromising on the quality our customers have come to expect.’
He continued, ‘We run both our VG-640s 24 hours a day, six days a week, using the take up units for overnight runs. Because we deal with such high volumes, the reliability and build quality of the Roland printers is just what we need.’
Their efficiency and reliability are strong features of the VG series, but it is the print quality and cut accuracy that keeps StickerShop’s customers coming back time and again. ‘We get a lot of return custom and with over 80 five star reviews on Google, we are clearly doing something right,’ said Shane.
In a typical order, StickerShop will produce full colour artwork on the highest quality setting. Then, it will either cut the order into A4 sheets of weeded stickers, or use a perforation cut setting to die cut each sticker individually. With a constant stream of orders coming through, having a machine that excels at both print and cut applications is a huge benefit to the business.
Aside from its ability to print and cut, the VG-640 is packed with several features that save time and waste. To put the spotlight on just one, Shane was particularly impressed with a feature that is often overlooked. ‘The ink bags are great,’ he said. ‘Unlike the previous cartridges, you can really squeeze every bit of ink out. They are also really easy to insert and remove which is a great benefit for us; we frequently swap inks between machines as part of our workflow and the process needs to be as quick as possible.’
As StickerShop continues to rapidly grow, it has its sights set on further expansion. ‘We are moving into a new larger premises later this year and we plan to buy a third VG-640 to keep up with the volume of orders,’ said Shane. ‘We are also working on an update to our website that will let customers design and create their own stickers and labels using our own bespoke online product builder and designer. Alongside this we will be launching some exciting new products on the website that will further increase our need for more Roland printers in the future.’
