The latest IDC numbers reveal 1.84 million printer shipments in Australia last year, a 2.2% dip from 2017. Selling volume for both inkjet and laser printers continues to drop -1.8% and -3.0% YoY respectively.
The drop is less than that of previous years, which IDC says indicates a stabilisation in the office printer market.
In contrast, multi-function colour laser printers experienced an annual shipment growth at 6.8% in Australia
HP Inc has strengthened its presence in the inkjet market with an increased occupancy rate of entry-level models and remains one of the leaders in laser printers along with Brother.
Canon has reportedly lost a portion of its photo printing market share to self-service printers at retail outlets.
Kyocera Document Solutions has gained share in both the A3 and A4 models, while Fuji Xerox has left the lower-end A4 laser printer market due to decreased demand.
“Despite modest growth in certain MFP segments, the printer market size was still falling in Australia,” says IDC analyst Jimmy Li.
“Major vendors in this market can no longer rely on hardware sales alone, focus on solution-based approach that incorporates software and services imperative to maintain the value to the customer base. Printer vendors must be able to articulate how their solutions are solving customers business problems as they configure their work environment for the future.”
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