Shift Towards Multifunction Hardware Accelerates Across Western Europe

Unit sales of printer hardware across Western Europe increased by two percent year-on-year in Q1 2017, driven by positive performance of multifunction devices, according to data published by IT market analysis company, CONTEXT.

Distributor sales of both inkjet and laser multifunction printers (MFPs) increased by six percent and five percent respectively for the quarter. The shift to multifunction devices was reinforced as sales of single-function printers continued to fall: sales of laser SFPs were down by seven percent, while those of inkjet SFPs dropped by twenty one percent.

Increased sales of hardware

“Distributors in all major WE countries except France saw increased sales of printer hardware,” said Zivile Brazdziunaite, imaging market analyst at CONTEXT. “Spain continued to register strong performance, with sales up by twenty five percent year-on-year, driven mainly by sales to SMBs and retailers.”

Germany and Italy both saw increases of three percent, driven by sales of multifunction laser and inkjet devices to the retail channel. Although printer hardware sales in the UK remained positive, there was weaker growth of one percent – with increased sales of multifunction devices to etailers. The two percent drop in France was because of a continuing fall in sales of laser hardware, itself due to a struggling corporate reseller channel.

HP continued to lead the printer hardware market with a share of 47 percent, followed by Epson and Canon with shares of 18 percent and 15 percent respectively.