A report from IDC showed that the market declined quarterly but increased year-on-year.
The report on the market stated that the consumables sector, excluding Japan, declined by 1.2 percent sequentially but grew by 2.6 percent year-on-year to a value in 3Q2014 of $1.744 billion (€1.408 billion), with developing economies such as India, Indonesia and Thailand said to have “continue[d] to record growth in consumable shipment”, while China, Malaysia and South Korea have seen “seasonal decline” that has “affected the overall market in the region”.
Of the total consumable market, IDC found that third-party brands – including remanufacturers – contributed around 23 percent of the total value of the market – $394 million (€318 million) – and that developed economies including Australia and New Zealand were “witnessing adoption of third-party products for laser printers” as well as developing nations. In turn, third-party companies are “partnering with large-format retailers and office stationery suppliers” in an effort to “increase their foothold in the market”.
Additionally, more office stationery suppliers are “entering into” MPS, and IDC noted that third-party companies are “providing a broader range of products” at prices that then provide “competitive solutions” for customers. E-commerce is also another area where third-party companies are “opening new avenues”, as it allows them to reach more customers through multi-brand e-retailing portals.
With OEMs introducing high-capacity, “economical” inkjet cartridges, IDC notes that this will “affect overall unit shipment and revenue” for the inkjet cartridge market in the longer term, but that at this point it is “helping OEMs to gain market share”. OEMs are also “revitalising” the toner cartridge market by launching “economical laser printers with low-priced laser toners”, and despite the page capacity being lower compared to standard toner cartridges, the prices “may help OEMs to target SMBs, SOHO and home users, particularly where colour printing is not in demand”.
Pankaj Chawla, Research Manager for IPDS Research at IDC Asia/Pacific, commented: “Digitisation is an emerging trend in the Asia/Pacific, as corporations as well as government sectors in AP countries are trying to reduce their printing needs. Educational institutes are evaluating the adoption of tablets; hospitals are digitising patients’ records; and governments are going to digitise government records including certificates issued to citizens such as educational, medical, residential, birth certificates and etcetera.
“These policies will limit the creation of paper records and reduce printing [and] may reduce the shipment of printer consumables in developed economies such as Australia and New Zealand.”