Due to Economic Uncertainty, W.Eu printer sales remain Flat

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Date: Friday November 25, 2011 08:03:44 am
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    Due to Economic Uncertainty, Western Europe printer sales remain Flat

    Due to economic uncertainty, Western European hardcopy market remains flat, says IDC
    There has been a considerable shift in marketshare from printers to MFPs during Q3 2011.Latest research by International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that the hardcopy market in Western Europe returned a marginal year-on-year growth rate of 0.2% in the third quarter of 2011 with 6.4 million unit shipments.

    But, in revenue terms, IDC’s Western Europe Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker shows that the market actually experienced an 11.9% year-on-year decline, falling to $2.8 billion from $3.1 billion in 3Q10.

    Arnaud Gagneux director of IDC’s Western Europe imaging hardware devices and document solutions group feels that the market for hardware in Europe has been affected as sovereign debt crisis has had its effect on consumer and commercial demand.

    Gagneux added that print hardware meant for the consumer end of the market, including inkjet printer and inkjet MFP segments, was being hampered by reducing demand for PCs. According to him, bucking the trend is the laser MFP product segment with sturdy growth despite the tough trading conditions.

    As expected, there has been a considerable shift in marketshare from printers to MFPs during Q3 2011. While total printer shipments in Western Europe contracted by 8.7% to 1.52m units, MFP shipments experienced a growth of 3.4% to reach 4.8m units.

    Phil Sargeant research manager at IDC’s Western Europe imaging hardware devices and document solutions group, pointing to the increasing demand for business inkjet devices, said, "For many years printers and MFPs featuring inkjet technology were largely destined for the consumer and SOHO markets. But in recent years and following significant investments by vendors such as HP, inkjet technology is increasingly being positioned as a cost-effective alternative for low-volume office applications."

    Germany remains the largest hardcopy market in Western Europe, with total shipments of 1.7m units in Q3 2011, a year-on-year growth of 2.6%. On the other hand, consumer focused inkjet devices grew by 1% to 0.9m units and laser MFP unit shipments reached 0.2m, a year-on-year growth rate of 14.4%.

    UK is the second-largest hardcopy market in Western Europe and in Q3 2011 total shipments crossed 1.26 million units. This year-on-year rise in shipment volume amounted to 0.12m units or 11%. While inkjet shipments, MFP and printer combined, increased by 12.6% over Q3 2010.

    However, France was the only top three European country market to experience negative growth. Total hardcopy shipments fell slightly from a year-on-year perspective and now amount to 1.1m for the quarter, a slight decline of 0.8%. Shipments of high-value products, including the laser MFP segment reached 0.1m units and is growing 7.4% year on year.

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