Aus printer market fell 2.2% in 2018

The Australian printer market continued to shrink in 2018, but the decline is showing signs of levelling off, according to IDC.

The research firm estimates that total printer unit shipments fell 2.2% for the year to 1.84 million, with inkjet shipments down 1.8% and laser device shipments down 3%.

But one bright spot in the market was the performance of colour laser multifunction printers, with an annual growth of 6.8%.

HP continued to lead the inkjet market during 2018, and solidified its market lead. In the laser market, Brother and HP continue to be market leaders.

Other significant developments during the year included Fuji Xerox’s decision to exit the lower-end A4 printing market in the face of shrinking demand, while Kyocera Document Solutions gained share in both the A3 and A4 segments.

IDC Market Analyst Jimmy Lee said the market’s lacklustre performance should serve as another wake-up call to the printer industry.

“Despite modest growth in certain MFP segments, the printer market size was still falling in Australia. Major vendors in this market can no longer rely on hardware sales alone, [but] focus on solution-based approach that incorporates software and services imperative to maintain the value to the customer base,” he said.

“Printer vendors must be able to articulate how their solutions are solving customers’ business problems as they configure their work environment for the future.”

Image courtesy IDC.