In the 1970s, Hong Kong’s printing industry was developing in a rapid pace. ‘Sun Wah Printing’ grasped the perfect time and opportunity to start the printing business, by focusing on receipts and business cards printing, as well as making customized stamps. However, when digital revolution has started, many factories have been relocated outside Hong Kong, which has made the competition between local printing shops even more intense. Price war began and brought huge challenges to the small printing shops especially. Although printing industry has since been entering into a prolonged period of business shrinkage, Mrs. Lau, the owner of Sun Wah Printing, is still grasping the nettle and keeping a genuine heart to run the stall and work hard every day, even though she is over 80 years old by now.
If you walk by Sun Wah Printing, you will notice there are all kinds of red pockets and Chinese New Year couplets on display. Mrs. Lau said the stall has been starting to sell red pockets since the past 10 years because the original core business can no longer maintain the income. Selling red pockets thus becomes the main source of income as people are still using red pockets for wedding and festive occasions. The market demand of the traditional stamps has also been declined. Only the new generations who love Chinese calligraphy and painting will make an order by now, but they are less likely to reorder more as the material of the stamp is extremely durable. For all these years, Mrs. Lau believes the best way of handling the declining industry is to go with the flow, and the keys of keeping loyal customers can only be achieved by treating them with professional attitude and courtesy, and providing products that are in good quality and value for money.
The reopening of the stall at the Bazaar this year has made Mrs. Lau feeling content again. “I am satisfied that I can work again, and at least I don’t need to do any tough work here,” she said. Sun Wah Printing has accumulated a lot of regular customers in the neighborhood over the past 50 years, and they would still send a warm greeting to each other when passing by the stall. Mrs. Lau also stated that there is no succession planning as her two children have already taken charge of another family shop, Mei Wa Rubber Stamp, so the future of the stall is still lying on her hands.
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