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Store Brand Imaging Study 2006: Store Brands Gaining Popularity at the Expense of OEM and Aftermarket Brands

Introduction

InfoTrends recently released a landmark study on store brand imaging supplies. Store Brand Imaging Supplies 2006  provides extensive research on OEM, store, and aftermarket branded inkjet cartridges, laser printer cartridges, copier supplies and photo paper. The report provides essential data and analysis for printer and supplies manufacturers and resellers to support their product planning, marketing, and distribution initiatives.

Research for the study consisted of interviews with 1,318 consumers and 805 office supplies decision makers in the United States.

Store Brands Gaining Popularity

The $28 billion inkjet and laser printer supplies market is a critical source of revenue and profits for equipment manufacturers and resellers. The leading office superstores and contract stationers have been expanding their product line and marketing of store brand products, threatening OEMs and traditional aftermarket suppliers. InfoTrends estimates that sales of store brand imaging supplies are growing at 40% annually and will account for approximately 10% of total industry sales by 2009.

Consumers and office managers have a high level of trust for many of the major retailer brands. The study suggests there is an opportunity for the consumer electronics, computer superstore, mass merchandisers, and contract stationers to increase their sales with a store-branded line of imaging supplies.

Another interesting finding from the survey is that color laser users are ready to try non-OEM laser cartridges. When non-OEM color laser supplies become generally available with qualities as similar to the OEMs as monochrome laser cartridges currently are, users will be willing to try them.

Figure 1: USA Total Retail Value for Personal and Workgroup Inkjet
and Laser Printer Cartridges by Type of Brand

Users’ preferences and expectations regarding non-OEM supplies were surprising. Aftermarket brand as well as OEM supplies users rate quality and reliability as the most important purchasing criteria, while store brand users are not quite as concerned with quality and reliability, but more concerned with additional criteria when making their purchase decisions.

Figure 2: Most Frequently Used Sources for Consumer
Purchases of Inkjet Cartridges

Survey respondents indicated Wal-Mart and the three office supply super stores as their top locations to purchase OEM and non-OEM products. Amongst consumer respondents, Wal-Mart was the top retail chain where the respondents reported purchasing inkjet cartridges and inkjet photo paper.

Data on brand trust from the survey suggests that besides the office supplies superstores, other stores might do well to introduce their own brand supplies. In some cases, it’s clear that users would place more trust in a store brand than some of the brands that the stores are currently offering.

The preceding is an excerpt from InfoTrends’ report entitled “Store Brand Imaging Study 2006.” The complete document is available immediately. To learn more about the report or to make a purchase, contact Scott Phinney at +1 ext. 123 or .

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