Worldwide drop in printer sales
April 20, 2009 by Steve HannafordPosted in: Dealers & Channel, Latest News & Views
The global financial crisis is hitting the office machine industry hard.
A new study by tech consulting firm IDC indicates that shipments of hardcopy devices (printers and copiers) declined by 17% year-over-year. The study compared the last quarters of 2007 and 2008. Total revenue from unit sales (now around $13 billion per year) also slipped by 13%.
According to the study, the biggest losers in terms of units shipped among the largest global vendors were Lexmark and Hewlett-Packard. Brother was the only major vendor showing a slight gain.
For companies buying new equipment, this downturn could be a plus, as vendors add features and hold the line on prices due to increased competition and the need to make more tempting buys. But be careful: Vendors will, in some cases, make up for lowered unit sales by charging more for ink and toner, an expense that most buyers don’t take into account when they focus on the sticker price of the machine.
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Tags: IDC, industry trend, sales, study
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August 31st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Well, the recession seems to affect all industries. Companies must admit that drop in sales will continue unless they start taking steps to boost the market.