UK printer sales up six per cent in Q3

Shipments rise in UK despite sales slide across much of EMEA

Sales of inkjet and laser printers were up six per cent in the UK in the third quarter of 2011, compared to the year-ago quarter, according to IT market researcher Context.

The rise contrasts with a sales decline across western Europe as a whole, which saw sales fall one per cent in unit terms during the third quarter of 2011 compared to the same quarter in 2010. Across EMEA as a whole, sales were down 0.6 per cent.

Jeremy Davies, co-founder and chief executive at Context (pictured), said: "In western Europe, the effects of the economic slowdown were felt by those countries most affected, especially Greece, where printer sales fell 35.1 per cent in Q3 2011 compared with last year, with sales down 6.1 per cent in Spain.

"In France, sales were flat with a year-over-year growth for Q3 2011 of 0.2 per cent. Germany fared a little better, with a unit sales growth of one per cent over the same period."

In the UK, the rise was boosted most by strong all-in-one inkjet printer sales, which recorded a 9.6 per cent increase in sales.

Across EMEA as a whole, central Asia and Africa also performed well. Central and eastern Europe saw falls.

HP remained the leading vendor in the quarter, accounting for 44.4 per cent of total inkjet and laser printers sold across EMEA. In the third quarter of 2010, HP held a 44.2 per cent share, according to Context.

Canon was the second-largest supplier, with a 21.4 per cent market share of unit sales, up from 19.1 per cent a year ago.