The Hamburg-based management consultants Apenberg & Partner have completed their traditional management survey on market and business developments in the German print industry for the year 2026, in which over 150 companies participated.
‘The study clearly shows that business models will only remain viable in the future if companies take greater account of actual industry trends,’ emphasises Yorck Wittkuhn, consultant at Apenberg & Partner and project manager of the study. Overall, expectations for 2026 are more optimistic than in the previous year. Expectations of a decline in market development are noticeably decreasing, willingness to invest is increasing, and around a quarter expect supplier prices to rise. Perspectives vary depending on the size of the company. The majority of smaller companies expect negative earnings development, while medium-sized and large companies anticipate stable or rising development.
Graphic arts supply industry
Despite expected cost increases of around 60 per cent from their suppliers, a third of graphic arts suppliers anticipate a decline in earnings, partly because only 23 per cent plan to increase their customer prices.
Packaging printing
Packaging printers are concerned about the development of their customer prices. Just over half plan to lower their prices in 2026. 35 percent of the packaging printers surveyed plan to increase their investments in 2026.
The results of the study are available for download free of charge in the Apenberg & Partner newsroom.
Apenberg & Partner
Apenberg & Partner is one of the leading management and personnel consultancies in the printing industry, packaging printing, print media and industrial printing. The focus is on combining in-depth industry and methodological knowledge, consistent client orientation, measurable results and a flexible, innovative approach. Since its foundation in Hamburg in 1987, Apenberg & Partner has successfully implemented over 1,000 projects and supported more than 250 medium-sized companies and well-known corporations on their journey.
