IDC Finds Russian Hardcopy Peripherals Market Drops Again

IDC reports the Russian printer and copier market continued to fall in the third quarter of 2014, with a year-on-year decline of 4.71% to more than 940,000 units and 14% in value.

The market research analyst noted that the decline in 3Q2014, and even throughout the year, was mainly a result of the continuing slowdown of the Russian economy and the implementation of a new state law on contract system procurement (Federal Law No. 44-FZ), which came into effect in January 2014.

As required by the new law, “state organizations must create procurement plans three years in advance and publish them on the Internet.” Now market players need time to get familiar with the new procurement system, and many large public sector projects are likely to be postponed until the impact on the entire supply chain can be more clearly determined.

Both laser and inkjet segments were down 6.23% and 1.06% year-on-year, respectively, according to the statement. Further, vendors have shifted their focus to high-end inkjet devices rather than the low-profit, entry level ones.

IDC predicts that the hardcopy market in the country will continue to shrink in the last quarter of 2014 and throughout most of 2015, but midrange MFP shipments are expected to grow, in both the monochrome and color laser segments, as declining prices and low cost per page make them attractive in the current economic climate.