33 PRT GROUP /SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2021 1.6. Economic performance in 2021 2021 was still characterized by uncertainty and the COVID emergency; such a situation led PRT to face a complex economic context. However, the year ended with positive results for PRT and its Italian brands, with an increase of 7% in turnover when compared to 2020. It is a very significant result that allowed the company to gain a noteworthy positioning on the market. Its leadership – consolidated over time – was recognized by customers and competitors also thanks to the huge investments in technology, digital services, human resources and skills that were carried out in latest years. The pandemic, again, has influenced the Group’s business trends for every single area in a different way: - Business Communication and Direct Mailing. Considerable increase in the amounts of printed products despite the continuous decrease in prices on the market: +33% in 2021 and +30% in the first 3 months of 2022. The consolidation of clients included in the portfolio and the winning of new ones are not enough to explain such an important growth. When confronted with the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the rise in costs for raw materials, PRT decided to invest in more performing machines able to reduce costs while increasing productivity. Such factors allowed to handle the fall of prices in the best way. - PRT France. Special production works – linked to the management and delivery of face masks to a considerable number of citizens – caused a 5% growth of revenues if compared to 2020, the latter already having seen unexpected returns. The traditional activities instead, saw highs and lows, especially depending on the strategic choices made by customers: some kept investing, others slowed down. - Digital servicesi: The new business line brought significant results a year after its launch. Requests by customers were considerable and allowed to obtain results equal to 20% of PRT’s overall turnover. - PostaPronta: Unlike other brands, the hybrid mail service continued to grow in 2021, too. The possibility to send letters right from one’s computer still makes the difference, especially for those working from home. As a matter of fact, if compared to 2020, in 2021 the overall number of customers grew by 40%. - Large-format printing: Despite the pandemic was still ongoing in Italy, the sale of products such as face masks, protection and signaling systems has dramatically decreased. 2021 was actually a “normal” year from an economic point of view, with a return to the brand’s typical products and seasonal variations characterizing the large-format business. The year closed with an increase and in line with PRT (+7%). This year the brand has carried out further investment to relaunch its activities and make operations more sustainable, by replacing printing on plastic with printing on tissue. In late 2021, PRT noticed some difficulties in the provision of raw materials, especially paper. Starting from September-October, the problem became more and more serious in the following months, going on in early 2022 also because of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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