The rise of aftermarket toner

According to analysts, Virtulytix, aftermarket toner is responsible for approximately a quarter of the revenue generated by monochrome toner shipments – and is also faring well in colour.

As Print21 explains, a new report published by Virtulytix reveals that sellers in the aftermarket have captured “approximately 13 percent of colour shipments” and are also beginning to muscle in on the 90 percent of “revenues in this space” claimed by OEMs.

“Aftermarket toner cartridge suppliers are targeting the growing mid-high speed colour MFP segments where cartridge usage is quite high,” says Ron Iversen, Vice President of Market Intelligence at Virtulytix. “With almost 80 per cent of the toner cartridge market existing in the colour area, this is clearly the biggest risk to OEM manufacturers.”

The report, entitled 2018 Global Toner Forecast, has also found an increase in aftermarket “technological prowess”, meaning that aftermarket cartridges “are beginning to rival OEMs in print quality”.

The report utilised “historical data from 2014-17 to help predict the shape of the toner market around the world to 2022”.