600 Printers Sold Every Hour

There has been a 1.9% increase in the number of printers sold in 2016 in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It’s the first time there has been an increase since 2011 and is being seen as a positive development. Since 2011, the printing market started to decline.

IDC tracked sales and reports over 5.4 million printing devices were sold in the CEE region last year. That means over 600 printers or MFPs were sold every hour.

However, IDC cautions that the increase does not necessarily mean there has been a permanent rebound in the regional market. It should not be seen as an indicator of long-term growth as the overall trend was in line with the global trends of digitalization and related reduced demand for printing.

IDC also surveyed 600 companies in the CEE. The research company predicts more developed countries in countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic will see a downward trend in their printing markets. On the other hand, printing markets in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are expected to grow marginally.

Digitalization is still a major factor affecting the market. IDC sees an upturn in the sales of MFPs as companies are giving more attention to functions such as scanning and duplex printing. Besides price, capabilities in printing and scanning are the most important factors for each purchase.

“The ongoing digitalization of paper-based processes in business, together with the increasing preference for electronic documents among both businesses and consumers, are expected to be the major inhibitors for sales of printing devices in developed CEE countries,” explains Ilona Stankeova, research director with IDC CEMA Imaging, Printing, and Document Solutions. “We expect a slow overall market decline in mature CEE countries like the Czech Republic or Poland, resembling the trend in the U.S. and Western Europe. That said, pockets of growth will exist, mainly for smart MFPs with advanced functions or low-cost-per-page devices.”

(Photo source: easyJet.com)

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