Oem Laser Printer Sales In W. Europe
Decline 5% As Businesses Cut Back On Spending.
By Clare Hopping.
The UK's channel sales performance topped the rest of Western Europe's, although revenues declined.
Sales of laser hardware across Western Europe has declined by five percent year-on-year as businesses cut back on spending with economic insecurity having a negative impact on sales once again, according to research.
However, the UK has experienced positive growth, with sales increasing by eight percent year-on-year.
According to CONTEXT, sales of laser single-function printers (SFPs) in the second quarter of 2017 was the biggest loss-maker in the sector, declining 11% year-on-year. The reasoning behind this was that businesses have instead decided to multifunction devices, a market that grew by one percent in the same period.
Falling prices of high-speed laser hardware allowed sales of products in the sector to continue increasing. The largest reduction in price was for colour laser devices, which decreased by eight percent – an average reduction of €418 (£374). By comparison, mono laser printer prices reduced by four percent, with an average selling price of €163 (£146).
HP, Brother and Samsung lead the sector with marketshares of 41%, 18% and 16% respectively. Brother saw the biggest gains over the period, with 12% growth. Much of its success was down to lower price points but higher quality than its competitors, making its printers a solid option for etailer consumer and retailer channels rather than the business market.
“Distributors in most major WE countries saw declines in sales of printer hardware”, said Zivile Brazdziunaite, Imaging Market Analyst at CONTEXT.