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New Market Entrants Winning Battle for While-You-Wait Inkjet Refilling Services

(Weymouth, MA) January 28, 2008… Among the emerging trends in the supplies industry is the while-you-wait refilling of inkjet cartridges. According to a new multi-client study from InfoTrends, home users were most likely to have tried Walgreens’ while-you-wait inkjet cartridge refill service, while corporate users were most likely to have tried OfficeMax’s service. While Walgreens and OfficeMax have been in the while-you-wait refill market for only a short time, users appear to be much more likely to have tried their services than those from longer established players such as Cartridge World. Interestingly, 50% of consumers that have not tried this type of service stated that they have not done so because they are afraid that using refilled inkjet cartridges could harm their printer.

This multi-client study focuses on the inkjet supplies market in the U.S. In addition to while-you-wait refilling, the study examines a variety of current topics such as the use of OEM vs. aftermarket brands, purchasing habits related to inkjet cartridges, auto supplies ordering, preference for tri-color cartridges versus individual color cartridges, applications for inkjet printing, color printing trends, home print volumes, photo printing, and home applications/media.

The report provides answers to questions such as:

• Which brands of printing devices are most popular?
• What factors affect consumers’ decisions related to ink and toner purchases?
• Where are consumers purchasing ink and toner?
• What would motivate consumers to engage in cartridge recycling?
• What applications are consumers in various demographics printing?

This study is part of a new series of user survey reports aimed at gaining insight into multiple hot topics in the imaging supplies market. The reports focus on end-user buying behavior and usage patterns for supplies across the home and corporate environments. Results for business users are detailed according to industry, company size, and expenditures, while results for home respondents are broken out by age, gender, income, stage of life cycle, and users that work from home. There are a total of four studies focused on emerging trends related to inkjet ink, color laser toner, MFP copier toner, and paper.

Research for the  User Survey Report Series includes a blend of primary research (through structured Web surveys) with commentary on the answers by InfoTrends analysts. InfoTrends surveyed a total of 2,300 decision-makers. The end-user research illustrates brand preferences, price sensitivity, product requirements, decision tradeoffs, and other factors influencing purchasing decisions.

The executive style format of the reports allows for a quick and easy read, and our expert analysis extends beyond the obvious and provides insight into key trends that are shaping the industry today and into the future. Each report includes:

• An Executive Summary highlighting key issues, findings, and overall recommendations
• A chart for each question with a bulleted summary of key points and trends
• Data tabs, charts, and the questionnaire from the study

The reports are modular to allow for customization and flexibility in purchasing. For more information on the study or to make a purchase, please contact Scott Phinney at +1 , ext. 123 or .

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

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