Printer sales dipped slightly in Q4 but look good for 2012

Outlook remains positive for overall market predictions, according to IDC

Year-on-year shipments of hardcopy peripheral devices – printers and MFPs – in western Europe fell 2.6 per cent to 8.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 but the outlook remains optimistic for growth, according to IDC.

Arnaud Gagneux, director of the western Europe imaging hardware and document offerings group at IDC, predicted an important year ahead, although margins were constrained and prices fell in Q4, resulting in revenue falling 10.7 per cent to $3.3bn (£2.1bn) year on year in the fourth quarter.

"In the current economic climate, consumers are turning away from printing at home while businesses are making sure that they can benefit from all the new features the latest MFPs and printers can offer. Documents are being digitised and workflows streamlined in an attempt by businesses to drive costs out of the business and increase efficiencies," he said.

The UK performed well in Q4, coming in second, with 19 per cent of all western Europe shipments and growing at 1.5 per cent. Business inkjet sales growth was the strongest driver here.

Phil Sargeant, research manager at IDC, maintained that demand from businesses for hardcopy devices remains strong.

Business inkjet and laser shipments, combined, grew 3.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011. Colour devices grew 8.4 per cent while 6.4 per cent fewer black-and-white devices were sold.

"Monochrome remains twice the size of the colour market, but the gap is narrowing with both feeling some pressure from business inkjet products in the SoHo and small business sectors," Sargeant indicated. "Bright spots for 4Q11 included the continued growth in business inkjets (32.4 per cent), increased installations of colour devices (8.4 per cent), and continued strong demand for high-speed inkjet devices (13.6 per cent).

"Disappointments included a decline in the consumer inkjet market of 5.1 per cent in the busy Christmas period, and a decline in the monochrome printer market of 12.0 per cent in Q4, which is traditionally a strong market for monochrome devices."

The figures are from IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker November 2011, announced this month.