IDC reports that the laser printer market fell whilst others grew, and HP maintains a 42 percent market share.
Industry analyst IDC has reported that the laser printer market in Australia and New Zealand fell short of forecasts in Q2, though the remainder of the printer market grew.
The entirety of the printer market recorded a 10 percent year-on-year growth, as well as a five percent increase in Q2, but in contrast the overall number of shipments was only 760,000, 20,000 below the expected 780,000. The analyst stated that this number is expected to drop again in Q3, with an 11 percent dip estimated due to seasonal slowdown.
Laser printer shipments fell by 2 percent year-on-year, and was attributed to excess stock due to a strong Q1 and supply issues after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. In contrast, inkjet printers recorded a 15 percent year-on-year increase, due to their cheaper price and equal quality.
In terms of OEMs, HP led the way with 42 percent market share, with Canon and Brother following at 20 and 15 percent respectively. Brother took a fall of 17 percent from Q1, which IDC attributes to strong Q1 results and excessive stock ordering in Q2, as well as the Japanese disaster.
Cheryl Looi, IDC analyst, stated: “Weak business and consumer sentiment caused spending to be conservative. That’s why we saw a supply-side push with aggressive channel promotions by vendors and retailers. This was necessary to encourage sell through.”