Printer, copier & MFP market dips 9% in Q1: Gartner

The market size of printer, copier and multi-function products declined by nearly 9% to 6.90 lakh units in the first quarter of 2013 as users cut spending, research firm Gartner said today.

The market size was at 7.57 lakh units in the same period of 2012, Gartner said in a statement.

Total spending by end users fell 1% from the same period last year, totaling $237.5 million, it added.

Both the monochrome and color devices markets posted a decline of 2.9% and 11.2%, respectively.

"Vendors are targeting the small and mid-size business (SMB) and small office home office (SOHO) markets in India with increased focus on the cost and quality needs of office users," Zalak Shah, Research Analyst at Gartner, said.

Key market players are trying to stimulate demand with new offerings and working closely with channel partners for market expansion, Shah added.

HP remained the market leader in the Indian printer, copier and MFP market, as its market share totalled 52% (3.60 lakh units), followed by Canon at 20% (1.37 lakh units).

Epson accounted for 9%, while Samsung Electronics accounted for 8% of the market in the first quarter of 2013.

The page printer market overall experienced a decline of 14.1% in the first quarter of 2013.

The market was led by HP at 55.4% market, followed by Canon at 25.7% and Samsung with 10% share.

However, HP, Canon and Samsung's shipments declined 13.7%, 27.6% and 15.2%, respectively.