Shipments of hardcopy peripherals (HCP) in Western Europe (WE) experienced a YoY decline of 20,6% to 3,3-million units in Q1 2024, according to IDC’s Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker Q1 2024.
Although supply chain issues have been resolved, and the overall availability of HCP has returned to normal, the maturity of the HCP market is evident in the decline observed in the region. Nevertheless, the situation tends to vary depending on the country and brand.
In Q1 2024, MFP shipments posted a unit decline of 20,7% YoY, while printer shipments declined by 19,8%. Laser shipments decreased by 19,6%, and inkjet devices recorded a decline of 21,1%, primarily influenced by economic uncertainty. With the advancement of digitisation initiatives and the widespread adoption of paperless services in both private and public sectors, the demand for home printing has dwindled. The increasing use of online applications has contributed to this decline.
“In a mature market like Western Europe, any economic impact tends to decrease printing volumes,” says Julio Vial, research manager with the Imaging Printing and Document Solutions team at IDC. “Strategies aimed at reducing paper usage are leading to a decline in printing and organisations are buying fewer devices. The heightened awareness of environmental impact discourages the use of printing and paper in Western Europe.”
In Q1 2024, HP remained the top market leader with a share of 37,4%. Brother has seen an increase in its market share to 12,1%, while Canon and Epson have maintained their market shares despite declining shipments.