How do we know the recession is over? People are buying more printer ink, according to a consumer tracking report.
The amount of printer ink and toner cartridges sold ramped up during the last part of 2009 after languishing for much of the year, according to NPD Group Canada.
“Those are real traffic indicators,” said Darrell Ryce, director of technology and entertainment research at the firm. “Consumers are feeling a little bit more comfortable, so they’re printing off more pages and not worrying about going out to buy more ink.”
Toner and cartridges were only the fine tip of a modest yet broad-based recovery in technology products in 2009, NPD reported on Tuesday. Over all, Canadians spent $4.66 billion on computer and information technology products, up one per cent from 2008.
Spending really kicked in during the fourth quarter, which posted an eight-per-cent increase over a year earlier. IT products, which include everything from recordable DVDs to desktop computers, led the way, with 83 million sold at an average price of $56, NPD said.
The average price of desktop computers actually rose even though total sales were down about 15 per cent, Ryce said, as consumers have become more knowledgeable about what they need and are shunning low-end machines. Apple, with its higher-priced computers, was the main beneficiary of this trend although Windows-based PCs also generally rose in price, he said.
The number of laptops sold increased by 31 per cent, although prices fell on average by 15 per cent.
Flat-screen LCD televisions also saw their prices fall by an average of 15 per cent, although that helped increase units sold by 11 per cent, NPD said.
