Printer sales down 20 percent on supply chain woes

IDC reports manufacturing constraints and logistical issues are behind a 20.4 percent drop in printer sales in the third quarter of 2021.

Strictly speaking IDC was reporting on the drop in sales of ‘hardcopy peripherals’. The category covers inkjets, lasers, copiers and multi-function devices.

Researchers says the printer brands struggled to fulfil orders.

These weren’t the only problems. IDC says the value of shipments dropped 11 percent over the quarter.

Canon fared worst

Canon was the biggest loser. It saw a year on year drop of almost 40 percent (39.2 percent). Canon slipped from second place to third place behind HP and Epson.

Things were tough at HP which saw sales fall by a quarter (26.1 percent). The company continues to dominate the sector with a 40 percent market share down from 44 percent a year ago.

Epson and Kyocera did best. Both managed to grow. Epson continued its expansion in the ink tank market, a strategy that has worked for the Japanese company.

Worldwide Hardcopy Peripherals Market, Unit Shipments, Company Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, Q3 2021 (based on unit shipments)
Company	3Q21 Unit Shipments	3Q21 Market Share	3Q20 Unit Shipments	3Q20 Market Share	3Q21/3Q20 Growth
1. HP Inc.	8,566,573	40.9%	11,599,535	44.1%	-26.1%
2. Epson	4,185,089	20.0%	4,148,915	15.8%	+0.9%
3. Canon Group	3,394,474	16.2%	5,585,494	21.2%	-39.2%
4. Brother	1,858,015	8.9%	1,933,249	7.3%	-3.9%
5. Kyocera Group	446,849	2.1%	407,136	1.5%	+9.8%
Others	2,497,196	11.9%	2,655,732	10.1%	-6.0%
Total	20,948,196	100.0%	26,330,061	100.0%	-20.4%
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, November 11, 2021