Western Europe printer sales growing again

IDC tracker records a quarter of double-digit growth for Western Europe as well as rest of world

Samsung laser MFPs were the fastest growing segment in Q2

Revenue from printer and MFP sales around the world was up 14 per cent year on year in the second quarter, with Western Europe coming in close behind with 12.3 per cent growth, according to IDC’s quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals tracker.

By units, the total global market expanded 20 per cent year on year in the quarter to 29 million units worth $13.3bn (£8.7bn).

According to Phuong Hang, programme manager for the IDC tracker, this is the third consecutive quarter of year-on-year unit growth and the first double-digit growth for both units and shipment value since early 2000.

Western Europe’s growth rate – representing 5.6 million units -- was the first market expansion since the third quarter of 2007, although IDC figures suggest it will take some time before sales match those achieved in 2007 and 2008.

“We expect the market will continue to bounce back throughout 2010 but competition will remain strong and emerging markets will fare better than others,” Hang added.

Q2 was the first global quarter where monochrome laser MFP market grew faster than the colour laser MFP category – posting 39.7 per cent growth year on year against the latter’s 33 per cent rise.

Samsung’s share grew fastest in both the monochrome and colour laser MFP categories, although HP sold the most lasers overall, shipping 2.8 million units in Q2.

Samsung black-and-white laser MFP shipments increased 54 per cent to 500,777 units, and its colour laser MFP sales expanded 55 per cent to 108,731 units in the quarter.

Inkjet retains its lead, taking a 66 per cent share of the overall hardcopy peripherals market and growing 14 per cent year on year to 19 million units in Q2.