STABLE GROWTH IN IT DUE TO PRICE EFFECTS

During the second quarter of 2018, the IT and Office Equipment market increased in value by almost +0.4%, for a total value of close to 454 Mio €. The average price of products purchased in the IT and Office Equipment sector increased by almost 9%.

For the first 6 months of 2018, we registered an increase of just over 2% in value or close to 985 Mio €.
IT: positive results thanks to the continued growth in hardware and peripheral categories Several IT product groups continued to perform excellently during the second quarter of 2018, accounting for an increase in the IT sector of +4% to 358 Mio €.

Products targeting specific gaming enthusiasts increased their share, especially in categories such as mobile and desk computing, gaming monitors and gaming peripherals (mice-keyboards-gaming devices). In some IT categories, more than 30% of all products sold are already targeting these specific gaming customers. The Media-tablet category also recorded excellent growth figures, indicating the importance of targeting customers depending on their specific digital needs.

Office Equipment and Consumables: focus on small photo printers and business inkjet systems. In Q2 2018, the Office Equipment and Consumables sector recorded a significant decrease of -10% compared to Q2 2017, giving a value of 95 Mio €. The average price of products purchased in the Office Equipment sector decreased by almost 4%.

The market for printer and MFD products is struggling to convince customers that printing is
still relevant. Sales in both inkjet and laser cartridges have also experienced further decline.
Only the popularity of the small instant photo printers and further developments in
technologies such as continuous ink supply systems (CISS) will help brands to introduce these
new products successfully in the office market.