Printer Market Declined in Major 50 Cities in India During Q4 2017

According to International Data Corporation’s (IDC) latest India Monthly City-Level A4 printer Tracker, Printer market in major 50 cities witnessed a decline of 17.5% in Q4 2017 following a strong Q3 2017. Inkjet printers led the overall market with 52.2% share. Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai were top three cities in terms of sales while Pune, Vadodara and Bangalore were the major growth markets in Q4 2017 with an average growth of 19.1%.

Although Q4 2017 witnessed decline due to mitigation of post GST impact for accounting transparency, both vendor and channel partners pushed the sales through channel schemes and end user promotions across major markets along with regular channel expansion program.

According to Abhishek Mukherjee, Senior Market Analyst, IDC India “Low cost of ownership and printing compared to Laser printers account for the increasing uptake of Inkjet printer category”. Within the Inkjet category, Continuous Ink Supply System(CISS)/Ink tank printers dominated the market in Q4. Tier 3 and 4 cities generated 50% of the CISS sales volume. Requirements from SOHOs and SMEs, Co-operative banking segment and print service vendors were the major drivers behind increased demand of Ink tank printers in these markets.

“Wide reach and depth of the distribution network are the key to catering to the demand coming from Tier 3 and 4 cities. Almost all the brands have increased channel presence in smaller cities to fulfil the demand.” adds Mukherjee.

Vendor Highlights:
HP Inc maintained overall leadership in A4 Printer market with 45.9% market share in 50 cities across India. Significant channel push at the latter half of the quarter ensured the Brand’s leadership in India. HP focused on sales of entry level Laser printers with demand originating mainly from SMEs and State Government customers in Tier 3 and 4 cities.

As per IDC India Monthly City-Level Printer Tracker, West and North zone saw the major growth for HP. Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore were major growth driving cities for the brand. West zone outpaced other zones in Laser printer contribution to HP while East zone has the highest contribution for Inkjet printers.

Epson registered 1st spot in the Inkjet Printer Market with 46.3% market share in the category (24.2% Overall). Reach of the distribution channel through creation of reseller network in Smaller towns and rural market strengthened the leadership of the brand in CISS market. Pune, Chennai and Siliguri were major growth markets for the brand.

East zone has been highest contributor to its sales. While L380 has been the highest selling model for Epson as well as in the Inkjet category, its M-series (Monochrome CISS) witnessed significant growth from Tier 2 and 3 cities as channel partners effectively developed newer markets such as Cooperative banks, State Government, etc. for the series

Canon secured 3rd spot in overall A4 printer market with 22.5% market share in 2017 Q4. Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Trivandrum were the key growth markets for Canon. PIXMA G series (Canon CISS portfolio) had the highest contribution to its Inkjet sales accounting for 52% of its overall Inkjet sales. Canon’s strong channel push of its G-series printers with attractive channel schemes was the main reason behind its strong sales.

IDC India Outlook:
“With Canon expanding its CISS portfolio and Epson also launching new printer models in January, CISS share in Inkjet printers will continue to grow with major contribution coming from Tier 3 and 4 cities. In the A4 laser category, 21-30 ppm printers are gaining traction over 1-20 ppm printers which have dominated the market historically. Strong demand of the higher speed printers is likely to continue with major contribution coming from West Zone,” said Nishant Bansal, Research Manager, IDC India.