IDC: In 2024, the shipments of printing peripherals in China will be 15.08 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 12.5%.

The latest quarterly tracking report on the global printing peripherals market in the fourth quarter of 2024 released by IDC shows that the shipment volume of printing peripherals in China in 2024 was 15.308 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 12.5%. Of this, the shipment volume of inkjet printers was 7.292 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 8.7%; the shipment volume of laser printers was 7.143 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 13.8%; and the shipment volume of dot matrix printers was 874,000 units, a year-on-year decrease of 28.9%. Due to fluctuations in the economic environment, tightening of user budgets, and factors such as consumption downgrades, the printer market has shown negative growth for two consecutive years. In 2024, there was a counter-cyclical growth of 3.7% in demand for ink tank products. In 2024, the shipment volume of inkjet printers exceeded that of lasers in the market. Manufacturers' performance was relatively rational, with only a year-on-year decline in the first quarter due to the high base in 2023Q1, and a trend of year-on-year increases from the second quarter to the fourth quarter. Particularly in the second half of the year, the demand during the back-to-school season exceeded expectations, and the real-time interactivity and precise impact of live streaming platforms continued to increase the importance of printers among student groups. The promotion of Double 11 in the fourth quarter combined with government subsidies drove demand, and e-commerce platforms were very active, with some models in short supply. Online models were very competitive after the government subsidies, thereby significantly impacting offline channels. As prices continue to drop, and information channels for users become more diverse, the low-cost advantage of ink tank printers is increasingly favored by more users. The population of people working from home is increasing, and such users tend to buy ink tank printers to meet the needs of both home and work. The trend of small and medium enterprises shifting from laser to inkjet printers is becoming more significant, and the decline in user printing volume has also facilitated this trend. Manufacturers have also introduced more ink tank printer models to support the needs of different customer categories. A3 business inkjet printers have a significant advantage in color printing costs and have received more attention in the leasing market. However, due to the impact of overseas market products, the overall performance for the year fell short of expectations. Government and central state-owned enterprise budgets continue to tighten, with A3 laser declining more than A4 laser. In 2024, the shipment volume of A4 laser printers and MFPs decreased by 12.8% year-on-year. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the printer subsidy policy was implemented, impacting the growth of demand in the consumer market in the fourth quarter. The commercial market was more significantly affected by the economic downturn, with a significant decline in demand. Particularly, with limited costs, small and medium enterprises are more likely to choose inkjet printers. Several manufacturers have launched multiple low-end A4 laser printers to compete for more market share. In 2024, the shipment volume of A3 laser printers and MFPs decreased by 23.5% year-on-year, with A3 black-and-white laser printers and MFPs decreasing by 25.8% year-on-year, and A3 color laser printers and MFPs decreasing by 19.9% year-on-year. As enterprise users focus on cost reduction and efficiency improvement, limiting the amount of color printing, the migration from black-and-white to color in 2024 was slower than expected, but the long-term trend of migration from black-and-white to color remains unchanged. Due to budget constraints, users are more inclined to extend contract periods or prolong the use of old machines. The continuous decline in customer printing volume and the development of the second-hand market also suppressed the demand for purchasing new machines. Yana Cheng, Senior Analyst at IDC's China Printing, Imaging and Document Solutions Research Department, believes that the external environment will continue to face significant challenges in 2025, and manufacturers need to be prepared to address supply chain risks. Internal competition will intensify, and manufacturers need to deeply analyze national policies, optimize product layout and channel structure, and pay attention to new opportunities that may arise from high-tech developments.