Print traces: sales of printers from the USA and Japan halved
Sales of printers and multifunction printing devices from unfriendly countries have more than halved in a year. Sellers and importers of electronics told Izvestia about this. The reason is the lack of service, support, and original replacement cartridges for them. At the same time, the demand for such gadgets is growing. Russian users prefer devices from China and the Russian Federation: over the year, their sales increased 1.5–2.5 times. For more information, see the Izvestia article.
Why are printer sales from Japan and the United States falling?
Market participants told Izvestia about a sharp decline in sales of printers and multifunction printing devices (MFPs) from unfriendly countries. In the first two months of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024, sales of the most popular A4 paper devices decreased by 60%, and sales of A3, which are most often used in offices, decreased by 20%, Marvel Distribution reported.
"At the same time, there is a significant redistribution of market shares," added the commercial director of Refrigerator.<url>" Alexey Pogudalov. — The share of brands from the USA and Japan decreased by about 25%. HP (by 21%), Brother (by 37%) and Ricoh (by 57%) showed the most noticeable decrease in the share.
In the press service of "M.The Eldorado videos confirmed this trend. Thus, HP showed a 6% decline in sales in the Russian market in 2024 in the number of devices compared to 2023, and Xerox - by 8%, the company noted. This is due to a change in the structure of demand and the reorientation of consumers to more affordable and mass-market Chinese counterparts, they stressed.
Sales of printers from unfriendly countries actually decreased by about 65% over the year, confirms Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group. Sales of Chinese and Russian brands of printing devices increased by about the same amount.
Demand for the equipment of bygone brands is falling as their model ranges are updated, according to Marvel Distribution.
— The new devices are unfamiliar to users, besides, they are not covered by the official service in Russia, and the supply of spare parts and consumables is unstable and unpredictable. Therefore, demand is being redistributed in favor of those who can offer all of the above, and now these are only Russian and Chinese manufacturers," the company noted.
The problem of the constant availability of consumables for printing equipment is very relevant: replacing a used cartridge with a new one for equipment of brands that left the Russian Federation can turn into a real quest, since devices from a wide variety of markets come to our country, Marvel Distribution added. And a cartridge from the European market may not be suitable for an American printer — in such cases it is easier to replace the device itself.
—Prices for printers and MFPs from Russia and China are less susceptible to currency fluctuations, as parallel imports make equipment from unfriendly countries more vulnerable to currency fluctuations," added Alexey Pogudalov.
In addition, government orders for such equipment have sharply decreased, and the state is known to be the main customer of printing equipment, says Eldar Murtazin.
Which brands can replace printers from unfriendly countries
In general, printers and MFPs are still a popular category of gadgets, and demand for them is growing, market participants say. According to "M.Video-Eldorado", in 2024, their sales market grew by 12% in revenue (from 50 to 56 billion rubles) and by 42% in units (from 2.3 to 3.3 million). The company attributes this to the increasing need for home printing (for remote work or study), lower prices, and the rapid growth of Chinese brands offering competitive solutions.
Market participants and experts interviewed by Izvestia note that printing devices from the United States and "unfriendly" Asia are being replaced by gadgets from China. At the same time, the presence of Russian manufacturers of such equipment has become noticeable on the market. Among Russian vendors is Fplus, whose sales of printing devices increased by 120% over the year, and among foreign vendors is Chinese Deli (an increase of about 150%), according to Marvel Distribution.
According to representatives of "M.Video-Eldorado", in 2024, there was a steady increase in the share of Russian and Chinese brands in the market of printed devices.
— In particular, brands from China showed an increase of 11% in units and 23% in revenue. Domestic brands have also strengthened their positions by focusing on the budget segment and the demand for affordable solutions for home and business," the press service of the united retailer notes. — Among Chinese manufacturers, Pantum is growing the fastest (11% in units and 23% in money), especially in the segment of laser MFPs — certain categories of devices showed an increase of more than 100%.
The main reasons are a decrease in the average price of Chinese solutions and an increase in their presence in the retail and business segment. The focus of brands from China on laser models with an optimal price-quality ratio and the strengthening of the position of Russian manufacturers in the mass segment also affected, the company said.
In the first two months of this year, the demand for printers and MFPs among Ozon customers increased 1.3 times in units compared to the same period last year, the marketplace's press service told Izvestia. Chinese brands are actively expanding their product range and maintaining a balance between price and quality solutions, which is why their popularity among customers is increasing, according to representatives of the marketplace.
Manufacturers of printers from unfriendly countries have largely discredited themselves in the eyes of Russian users, says Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. The lack of spare parts, service and support, as well as cartridges, has led to a decline in their sales by more than half, he points out. Therefore, Russians abandon such brands and purchase Chinese or Russian printers, especially since their prices are lower than for American or Japanese gadgets, the expert concluded.
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