The overall unit shipments of printer hardware across the EMEA region showed a 9% year-on-year growth in the first quarter, according to the IT market research consultancy CONTEXT.
This was driven to a large degree by Western Europe which went up by 10% y/y. In Q1 the printer hardware shipments in Spain and the UK increased by 31% and 28% year-on-year, respectively. However the CEE region was still lagging behind. The region dropped by 4% y/y with Russia, its biggest market, showing a 1% decrease y/y.
The strongest growth happened in the Middle East and Africa with a 20% increase and was driven by a growth in double-digit Laser and Inkjet MFP shipments, the study says. Also the market in Turkey went up by 8% y/y.
“The majority of Western European countries registered positive year-on-year unit shipments growth in Q1 2014, driven mostly by multifunction laser and inkjet technology printers,” comments Zivile Brazdziunaite,Imaging Market Analyst at CONTEXT.