UK left out in cold as European printer market grows

Printer sales through UK distributors sag four per cent in Q2, according to Context

The UK market missed out on the green shoots of growth witnessed in the wider European printer market in Q2, according to the latest data from market watcher Context.

Context said printer hardware sales through western European IT distributors continued to steady in the three months to 30 June, with sales rising one per cent year on year.

This was driven mainly by multifunctional devices, with sales of inkjet multifunction printers (MFPs) – which account for 60 per cent of the total market – rising four per cent.

HP and Canon were the big winners, enjoying year-on-year sales hikes of five and 17 per cent, respectively.

But although the French, German and Spanish markets all posted growth, the distributors Context tracks in the UK saw sales fall back four per cent as they managed inventory levels.

The trend for end users to switch from single to multifunction devices was reflected in Context's figures, with unit sales of laser SFPs dropping 10 per cent and laser MFPs rising six per cent. Laser MFP revenues declined, however, as the average selling price of colour laser MFPs dropped from €739 (£522) to €635.

Spain was the fastest-growing major market, with sales up 19 per cent. France grew nine per cent and Germany one per cent, while Italy was flat. The UK's four per cent drop was not as rapid as the nine per cent fall endured in the Netherlands.