Between loyalty, technical support, and advanced services, the market for anilox suppliers now demands more consulting, renewal, and operational continuity.
While the first article discussing this survey provided a profile of the sample and the second examined anilox usage practices, this in-depth analysis delves into the heart of the relationship between user and supplier. The first finding that emerges is the relative stability of the market: among the 65 responding companies that completed this section, 43.08% report working with two suppliers, 36.92% with just one, and only 13.85% with three.
We are therefore not dealing with a fragmented market or one governed by a constant turnover of partners, but rather a context in which supplier relationships tend to solidify over time. This stability is not explained solely by commercial inertia: given its direct impact on print quality, the anilox remains too critical a component to be handled lightly.
Satisfaction is high, but price alone is not enough
Loyalty to suppliers is also confirmed by the level of satisfaction expressed. 81.54% say they are satisfied with their main partner and a further 13.85% very satisfied, while dissatisfaction stands at 4.62%. But perhaps the most interesting finding concerns the reasons holding back change. 49.23% see no reason to replace their current supplier; 35.38% fear a decline in technical performance and quality; 24.62% cite pre-defined internal standards and existing approvals. Price, while a factor, carries less weight than one might expect, standing at just 20%. In other words, the anilox market seems to value technical reliability, consistent performance, and compatibility with procedures already validated within the company above all else. This is a decisive factor: when anilox enters printing processes as a critical variable, changing partners means disrupting a delicate production balance.
The ideal supplier becomes a process partne
This is precisely why customer needs extend beyond the simple supply of the cylinder. When asked about services considered essential, 52.31% cited regeneration as a priority, focusing on sustainability and cost optimization throughout the product lifecycle. Technical and consulting support for anilox configuration followed closely behind, cited by 41.54%, while 35.38% requested a rapid replenishment service or a dedicated warehouse to reduce downtime. Less central, but still present, are support for mapping the anilox fleet and planning regenerations (21.54%), the opportunity to visit a production site (20%), and end-oflife management (7.69%). The message is clear: the supplier is no longer perceived as a mere seller of components, but as a partner expected to provide consulting, responsiveness, operational continuity, and the ability to support the customer throughout the product’s entire lifecycle.
Cautious investments, demand for methodology still open
This call for partnership fits into a framework of measured investments. 46.15% of companies report an average annual investment in anilox of less than 20,000€, 27.69% fall between 20,000 and 50,000€, and only 9.23% exceed 50,000 €. A cautious approach prevails for the coming years: 56.92% plan to keep spending stable, while 23.08% anticipate an increase. This picture is consistent with a market that seeks to optimize, not simply spend more. And in fact, when it comes to technical management, a need that has not yet been fully met emerges: only 20.34% report having a complete mapping of their anilox fleet, and just 6.78% have conducted a dedicated printing audit; 40.68% have done neither. Even the definition of volumes and lineatures is split between standardization by application (40.68%) and mixed management (42.37%), a sign that many companies are still in an intermediate phase between practical experience and a standardized model.
The real competitive edge lies in advanced services
This is where the most interesting opportunities for suppliers lie. Today, only 20.34% of respondents receive structured technical support from their partner, while 47.46% describe it as sporadic and 32.20% as nonexistent. It is therefore not surprising that, looking to the future, 33% request a structured wear monitoring service, 22.03% request regeneration planning, and 15.25% request support for standardizing volumes and lineatures. Perhaps the most telling figure is that only 30.51% express no interest in any of these services. In essence, the customer-supplier relationship in the Italian anilox market already appears solid in terms of trust, but still incomplete in terms of advanced services. The next competitive leap will depend not only on the product, but on the ability to transform the supply into a system of technical support, monitoring, and proactive performance management.
