IDC tracker confirms collapse of ‘genuine’ OEM consumables

Overall, print consumables sales collapsed in the first half of 2009

Sales of hardcopy peripherals and consumables in EMEA collapsed in the first half of 2009 when compared with the previous year, IDC has confirmed.

IDC said it has estimated that the overall market for consumables dropped 13.1 per cent year on year across the region in the first two quarters.

Mario Lombardo, senior analyst at IDC, said that many Western Europe-based users have switched to cheaper suppliers, which will affect OEM revenue in the long run.

“While price increases in Western Europe have helped some OEM vendors to defend revenues in the short term, it does appear that more users have switched to cheaper compatible supplies alternatives, and this is likely to [affect] OEMs' supplies revenues in the long run,” Lombardo said.

“In particular, OEM vendors with fewer service contracts are more likely to face increased competition coming from third-party consumables suppliers in the near future.”

The sales decline was in the wake of the financial downturn that began September 2008. Demand slumped across all segments, from corporate to consumer users but business sales suffered most.

Worst hit was laser technology – the most commonly used print technology in busineses. IDC estimated that EMEA sales of branded OEM toner consumables in the first half fell 24.9 per cent year on year, with OEM inkjet consumables sales falling 19.2 per cent year on year.

Remanufacturers, third-party compatible cartridge makers and refillers, on the other hand, grew their volumes. Third-party toner shipments were up 5.1 per cent year on year. The share of the toner "aftermarket" industry has expanded from 29.6 per cent to 37.3 per cent year on year.

Joanna Pupkowska, EMEA consumables programme manager at IDC, said the volume of third-party toner sold was higher in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa than in Western Europe.

“This is because of different price sensitivities and the structure of local offers, with, for example, Russia and Ukraine being heavily dominated by bulk products and refill kits,” she said.

IDC expects the overall EMEA market for consumables to recover by 2010. Inkjet consumables are expected to grow 1.8 per cent and toner consumables to grow 5.4 per cent from 2009 to 2013, to 314 million units and 165 million units, respectively.