Gartner says European Printer, Copier and Multi Functional Product Market Grew 16 Percent in 2003
Shipments grew 16 Percent in Fourth Quarter 2003
Egham, UK, 16 March 2004 — The combined European Printer, Copier and Multi-functional Product (MFP) market grew 16.2 percent in 2003, with shipments totalling 34.5 million units, according to final results from Gartner Inc. Shipments in the fourth quarter of 2003 totalled 11.8 million units, a 16.4 percent increase compared to the same quarter of 2002.
The region recorded a healthy growth during the fourth quarter of 2003, driven by strong demand for colour devices and multi-functional products. Eastern Europe performed particularly well and recorded a 24 percent growth, fuelling the European MFP market during the same quarter.
"2003 was a good year for the MFP market and we saw confidence increasing, particularly in the last half of the year," said Cecile Gobin, analyst at Gartner. Companies started replacing old equipment again, following two years of tight budgets and extending replacement cycles."
Shipments for laser printers experienced sustained growth, while sales for standalone copiers weakened as businesses opted for interfaced copiers (or MFPs). Migration from monochrome to colour accelerated in the professional segment, while the growing popularity of digital cameras and the declining price of inkjet MFPs saw consumers choose inkjet photo MFPs instead of standalone colour inkjet printers.
Table 1 - European Printer, Copier and MFP Unit Shipments for Q4 2003
(Thousands)
Company
Q4 2002 Shipments
Q4 2002 Shares (%)
Q4 2003 Shipments
Q4 2003 Shares (%)
Q4 2003 Growth on Q4 2002 (%)
Hewlett-Packard
4,352
42.9%
4,910
41.5%
12.8%
Epson
2,104
20.7%
2,131
18.0%
1.3%
Lexmark
1,408
13.9%
1,865
15.8%
32.4%
Canon
1,300
12.8%
1,563
13.2%
20.2%
Samsung Electronics
171
1.7%
281
2.4%
64.9%
Others
819
8.1%
1,068
9.0%
30.4%
Total
10,154
100.0%
11,818
100.0%
16.4%
Source: Gartner (February 2004)
Table 2 - European Printer, Copier and MFP Unit Shipments for Year 2003
(Thousands)
Company
Year 2002 Shipments
Year 2002 Shares (%)
Year 2003 Shipments
Year 2003 Shares (%)
Year 2003 Growth on Year 2002 (%)
Hewlett-Packard
12,572
42.3%
14,795
42.9%
17.7%
Epson
5,944
20.0%
6,331
18.3%
6.5%
Lexmark
3,938
13.3%
4,865
14.1%
23.5%
Canon
3,798
12.8%
4,363
12.6%
14.9%
Samsung Electronics
355
1.2%
905
2.6%
154.9%
Others
3,083
10.4%
3,255
9.4%
5.6%
Total
29,690
100.0%
34,514
100.0%
16.2%
Source: Gartner (February 2004)
For country level information and additional commentary, you can contact the analysts directly: Sharon McNee: +44 131 452 2123, Malcolm Hancock: +44 1784 268 783 or Cecile Gobin: + 44 1784 268 783.
You can also visit www.europe.gartner.com or contact Laurence Goasduff at the Gartner press office on + 44 1784 267 195.
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