Recession Causes Slump In Ink Cartridge Sales

Sales of manufacturers own brand ink and toner cartridges have fallen during the recession, a new study has revealed.

Branded inkjet consumables from companies such as Canon, Brother and HP have declined by 19.2 per cent, according to research firm IDC.

Sales of official laser toner also fell by 24.9 per cent in the first half of this year.

However, sales of third party compatible ink cartridges and refillable units have grown steadily over the same period, increasing by 5.1 per cent.

Refillable and compatible ink cartridges now account for a 37.3 per cent share of the market in consumable printer goods.

Mario Lombardo, a senior analyst at IDC, said that cheaper alternatives have heavily dominated the market in countries such as Russia and the Ukraine. the UKraine?? do we say the ukraine or ukraine because different people say different things i've always heard it was the ukraine

He also said that cheaper options were also on the rise in western Europe and the US, adding: "While price increases in Western Europe have helped some OEM vendors to defend revenues in the short term, it does appear that more users have switched to cheaper compatible supplies alternatives."

By Hani Megerisi

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