IDC finds printer consumable market in the Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region declined 2.4% sequentially and declined 4.6% year-on-year to reach US$1,652.14 million in Q4 2013. Though printer consumable market has posted growth in large economies like the PRC, South Korea and Indonesia, seasonal factors have affected market in countries like Australia.
However biggest shock came from Thailand as political instability has affected channels as well as consumers' business sentiments and market has posted strong decline. Thailand market has posted quarter-on-quarter decline of 30% and year-on-year decline of 20% and all of the classifications have posted decline.
Out of the total consumable market, third party brands contribute nearly US$370 million, which is approximately 22% of the total value. While OEMs are gaining market share in ink cartridge market because of economic and high yield ink cartridges, on the other hand third party vendors are gaining share in laser toner market. Third party vendors are expanding their presence within the country of their presence and also looking for expansion across the borders.
“Third Party vendors are now changing their business model and emerging as solution providers rather than merely box-pushers. Third party vendors are offering free printers, printers on rent, printers' maintenance and repair services along with printer cartridges. Third party vendors are also entering in BPS/MPS(Basic Managed Print Services) business and offering solutions like pay per page, pay per cartridge and volume commitment options. Some other third party vendors are scaling up their business model by partnering with software vendors and offering remote operating of printers through MPS," says Pankaj Chawla, Research Manager for IPDS Research at IDC Asia/Pacific.
OEMs have gained market share in ink cartridges market as printers with lower cost of operations and cartridges with high page yield at economic prices have helped them. OEMs are also gearing up for laser toner market and extending Managed Print services for their channel partners. However there is still considerable price gap between OEM toner cartridge and third party toner cartridge, and in value sensitive Asia market third party vendors are favorite among consumers as well as commercial enterprises.
