The distributor and manufacturer notes that “even though the market is declining, opportunities abound”.
The company sent out a press release to customers noting that “we hear a lot of talk these days that the digital printing industry is in decline and fewer cartridges are being used”, adding that “there is no doubt that print volumes are falling” due to cost savings, new technology and less need for printing, with UTec warning that “unfortunately these trends will continue and it is unlikely we will experience the demand for print that we experienced several years ago”.
However, the company went on to remind customers that “there is still a lot of digital printing going on”, claiming estimates of two trillion pages printed worldwide ever year, and stating that “certain segments of the market are healthy and growing and new channels are being used to market consumables”, including the “hottest market segment”, production printing.
Looking closer at production printing, UTec commented that OEMs are “targeting commercial printers with their latest hardware and they are seeing results”, with a higher demand for output and bigger requirement for customised marketing materials meaning that the industry is “predicted to grow for the foreseeable future”.
The distributor also mentioned that another area of positivity is monochrome printing, as companies that “are in the legal and financial industries” are required to “submit hardcopy documents”, with banks and accountants also requiring prints, and such markets offer third-party supplies companies “excellent growth opportunities” due to offering office users “savings they desire”.
MPS is also touched upon by UTec, which notes that dealers are “looking for ways they can maximise their profits by using non-OEM supplies”, and the company concludes by stating that “companies that market digital-imaging consumables have always faced stiff competition, and this has never been truer than it is today. But while the industry is mature and certain segments are in decline, it remains huge and so is the demand for high-quality consumables”.