Monday, January 5, 2026
Top 10 Industry Signals That Shaped 2025
Top 10 Industry Signals That Shaped 2025
—Grouped into 6 Key Themes
As the year comes to a close, we looked back at the 10 industry stories that shaped 2025.
This Top 10 list is not just a ranking of “the biggest headlines,” but a framework to understand how the industry evolved in 2025—and where it may be heading next.
Theme 1. Market Remains Uneven
Following growth in Q3, the global printer market reported a 3.1% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase in the last quarter of 2024, with a total of approximately 22 million units being shipped worldwide. Before that, global shipments had been suffering a continual decline for five quarters.
In 2024, China’s printer market declined 12.5% Y-o-Y, with total shipments reaching 15.31 million units. The downturn continued in the first half of 2025, as shipments fell 5.5% Y-o-Y to 6.56 million units. The decline was driven by economic uncertainty, tighter user budgets, and weak demand.
Together, these figures suggest that while global demand shows early signals of stabilization, recovery remains fragile and highly regional.
Theme 2. Growth is shifting away from core A4 printing
Due to increasing automation and the rising demands for efficient inventory management across various industries, the barcode label printer market is expected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 4.8% to reach around $6.8 billion from 2025 to 2034.
Major opportunities lie in emerging markets, driven by customization needs, eco-friendly labeling, and software-enabled inventory management.
Theme 3. OEMs prioritize consolidation over expansion
Since the acquisition was firstly announced, the Xerox-Lexmark deal has drawn significant attention across the industry. In May, two Lexmark executives, Billy Spears and Chuck Butler were announced to join Xerox’s Executive Committee at the close of the acquisition. In July, Xerox completed its acquisition of Lexmark from Ninestar Cooperation, PAG Asia Capital, and Shanghai Shouda Investment Center.
With Lexmark’s reputation in the industry, existing customer base, and global presence, the acquisition will help Xerox consolidate its leading position in major print segments.
OKI joined Ricoh’s ETRIA venture in October 2025 as the third partner and transferred its Thailand-based production site to ETRIA. It is expected to enhance ETRIA’s production capacity and improve its ability to meet global demand for MFPs and related technologies.
With OKI’s participation, ETRIA further reinforces its engine capabilities and expands its footprint in the growing markets for energy-efficient, compact, and high-performance MFPs. In addition, the integration of OKI’s LED color label printer business into ETRIA is expected to create new growth opportunities, particularly in the auto-ID and label printing segments.
Fujifilm and Konica Minolta’s joint venture, Global Procurement Partners Corp., focuses on centralizing procurement strategies for both companies, optimizing supplier networks, improving business efficiency, and strengthening the foundations of both companies.
Rather than pursuing scale expansion, OEMs in 2025 increasingly focused on consolidation, efficiency, and control over core capabilities.
Theme 4. Cost pressure is reshaping the supply chain
Due to cost pressures amid a challenging market, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation announced its decision to withdraw from the production and sales of polyester resin used in printer toner in July.
As a long-standing upstream supplier in the industry, Mitsubishi Chemical’s move reflects a strategic restructuring and a shift in focus towards more profitable and sustainable growth areas.
The company will cease production of its Diacron™ polyester resin by March 31, 2026, with all sales scheduled to end by June 30, 2026. The Tokai Plant will continue operating for other business lines, while the polyester resin for toner production will be gradually phased out over the next year.
Theme 5. OEM revenue models are under strain
Despite reporting a 2.4% Y-o-Y net revenue increase in Q1, HP announced plans to lay off up to 2,000 employees as part of ongoing cost-cutting efforts.
This highlights a broader challenge facing OEMs: revenue growth alone is no longer sufficient to offset rising cost pressures and margin erosion.
Brother’s firmware updates were accused of degrading print quality when using third-party toner. Although Brother denied any intentional attempt to do so, some industry observers still speculate that, amid ongoing revenue pressures, OEMs may be adopting more aggressive tactics to protect profits from consumables.
Theme 6. Localization is becoming a strategic necessity
In May, 31 Canon printer models officially passed Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT certification. As the first printer manufacturer to take this step, Canon demonstrated its strong commitment to localization and compatibility with China’s domestic technology ecosystem. The move also sets an example for global OEMs seeking to collaborate with local partners and support the development of domestic alternatives.
These signals only tell part of the story. Local realities, channel dynamics, and buyer behavior vary widely by region. We will be publishing a series of in-depth and quick-view reflections from industry contributors across different regions — covering what 2025 revealed, and what their key messages are for 2026. Stay tuned in January & February.
What’s your take on the top signals of 2025? Share it in the comments below.
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