Consumables See Shipment Down, Value Up in APEJ

Printer consumable shipment in the Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region continued to fall by 1.2% year over year, but the value grew 2.6% year over year to reach US$1,744.36 million in the third quarter of 2014, reported IDC.

It is stated that third party brands amounted to nearly US$394 million, representing about 23% of the total value. The developed economies like Australia and New Zealand are also witnessing adoption of third party products for laser printers. In addition to collaboration with large format retailers and office stationery suppliers to strengthen their market shares, third party vendors are also reaching out to more audience through multi brand e-retailing portals.

As was revealed by the analyst, high capacity ink cartridges are heling OEMs gain market share in the ink cartridges market. The economical laser printers with low priced laser toners also help OMES to target SMBs, SOHO and home users particularly where color printing is not in demand.

Developing economies like India, Indonesia and Thailand continue to register growth in consumable shipment, but seasonal decline in the PRC, Malaysia and South Korea has affected the overall consumable market in the region.

Pankaj Chawla, Research Manager for IPDS Research at IDC Asia/Pacific, noted,“Digitization is an emerging trend in 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 digitizing patients’ records; and governments are going to digitize government records including certificates issued to citizens such as educational, medical, residential, birth certificates and etc.  These policies will limit the creation of paper records and reduce printing. It may reduce the shipment of printer consumables in developed economies such as Australia and New Zealand.”