Special Report Reveals Preferences of Toner Cartridge Users
December 6, 2005
Lyra Research and Recharger Magazine have partnered once again to bring readers the latest primary research. This time, the results of an exclusive survey of toner cartridge buyers are featured in a new report, Business Users Talk Toner: Laser Cartridge Brands and Buying Habits, sponsored by Media Sciences.
“We are happy to partner with Lyra again to build on the success of our first joint report, Think Ink: The 2005 U.S. Ink Jet Cartridge User Survey, and are excited to have Media Sciences on board as sponsor of this exclusive report,” said Recharger Publisher Phyllis Gurgevich. “This new report gives toner cartridge remanufacturers the inside scoop on their business customers. It shows the differences in buying habits and usage for small, medium and large businesses, and explores color laser printer use as well, highlighting vendor opportunities. We know our audience can use this information to help them in their marketing, selling, and product-development efforts.”
Color Laser Printers: Not Just for Big Companies
Color laser printers have been touted as a great new opportunity for aftermarket cartridge vendors, and the survey data shows that there is a significant number of color lasers installed in companies of all sizes. About 66 percent of the companies surveyed were small businesses (fewer than 100 employees), and more than half of these firms said that they have at least one color laser printer installed in their offices. Almost three-quarters of all medium- and large-sized businesses have both color and monochrome laser printers installed. See Figure 1.
Figure 1: Monochrome versus color laser printers, by size of business.
Lyra asked business users what brand of monochrome laser printer is installed in their workplace. Given the firm’s long heritage as a vendor of monochrome laser devices for the office, it should come as no surprise that most respondents said that they have an HP monochrome laser printer installed. More interesting to aftermarket vendors looking to expand their product offerings is the large number of respondents who said they have Dell, Samsung, Lexmark and Xerox monochrome laser printers. Dell, in particular, has grown its market share in just two years to become a significant player. See Figure 2.
Figure 2: Number of monochrome printers installed, by brand.
The Second Most Popular Aftermarket Cartridge
HP was the brand of color and monochrome laser printer for which respondents reported using the most aftermarket cartridges. As the leading printer brand in the office, this was to be expected. What is more revealing is the fact that Dell and Lexmark color laser printers were tied for second place in terms of aftermarket cartridge usage. Dell has done a remarkable job in penetrating the office in its short time in the printer market, especially with its color laser printers, which have only been available since September 2004. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: Brand of printer for which respondents used most aftermarket cartridges.
“One of the most surprising findings that came out of this research study is that a significant number of businesses are on so-called click-charge programs, otherwise known as price-per-page or monthly charge programs,” said Jim Forrest, senior analyst with Lyra and author of the report. The report explores this finding in detail and discusses the impact of these programs on aftermarket vendors. “Another surprising finding is what business users are doing with their empties,” said Forrest, who noted that the printer OEMs’ recycling programs are having a significant effect on the supply of empties.
Report Methodology
Business Users Talk Toner: Laser Cartridge Brands and Buying Habits is based on a survey of 425 total respondents from U.S.-based small, medium-sized, and large businesses conducted in October 2005. About 86 percent of the respondents were from small and medium-sized businesses (those with fewer than 500 employees). The survey focused on both monochrome and color laser printers and explores how many cartridges users consume each year, what types of cartridges they purchase, the brands of hardware they use, usage and purchase programs in place in offices, and more. The full report will be available for purchase for $99.
Visit www.lyra.com to order Business Users Talk Toner: Laser Cartridge Brands and Buying Habits.
