Hardcopy Peripheral Shipments Saw Double-Digit Growth in 1Q21

The worldwide hardcopy peripherals market expanded for the third quarter in a row in the first quarter of 2021 with shipments growing 19.3% year over year to approximately 25.5 million units, according to IDC. Shipment value also increased during the quarter with year-over-year growth of 10.8% to $10.9 billion as more tenders and contract renewals took place in the office.

Year-over-year increases in unit shipments were observed in all nine regional markets with Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan and China) leading the way with 31.0% growth, followed by China (PRC) at 25.4% and Western Europe at 18.9%. Similar to last quarter, the common theme for 1Q21 was growth driven by increased demand for low-end devices. Both inkjet and laser markets posted year-over-year shipment growth at 37.0% and 3.6%, respectively. Inkjet vendors continued to record high shipments to meet ongoing demand and fill backlog orders as markets continue to adapt to the new normal.

HP outperformed all other companies in the top 5 in terms of year-over-year shipment growth for the third quarter in a row. The vendor grabbed 42.4% of the overall market and posted a year-over-year increase of 36.4% with worldwide shipments of approximately 10.8 million units. Epson was second with 19.4% share, and a 14.6% growth, ahead of Canon, Brother and Kyocera.