Miami, Fl. (BUSINESS WIRE)  May 16, 2002  Following strong demand for thermal receipt and impact receipt printers, Epson America increased their leading market share for shipments of POS Printers to 36% in 2001 (up from 33% in 2000), according to a recent study from IHL Consulting Group.

"Epson really took advantage of a tough market by focusing their efforts in two areas," said Greg Buzek, President of IHL Consulting Group. The first area of focus was thermal receipt printers that saw 29% growth overall in retail, and the second was the continued growing niche for impact receipt printers in the hospitality segments for kitchens and other harsh environments."

According to the study, Epson along with Axiohm Inc. (16% share) and IBM Corporation (14%) represented 66% of the total shipments to the North American POS Market in 2001. But the market might be changing dramatically in 2002.

"2002 should be a very interesting year for POS printers as NCR re-enters the market after years of being an OEM customer," added Buzek. "They have a very strong tradition for building solid, innovative peripherals. They should regain a strong place in this market in the next twelve months." IHL's Study, 2002 North American Retail POS Printer Market Study reviews the shipments, distribution channels, and installed base of housed POS printers sold into retailers in North America. It includes market shipment and installed base figures for the top printer manufacturers in this market and provides a discussion of trends (Inkjet, USB, etc.) and projections for POS printer shipments through 2004. Other key vendors in the study include Star Micronics, Citizen, and TransAct Technologies. This is the second of a series of studies prepared by IHL Consulting Group in marketing relationship with The Association of Retail Technology Standards (ARTS).

For further information or to purchase this study, please visit the company website at www.ihlservices.com.

ABOUT ARTS
The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) of the National Retail Federation is a retailer-driven membership organization dedicated to creating an international, barrier-free technology environment for retailers. ARTS was established in 1993 to ensure that technology works to enhance a retailer's ability to develop store level business solutions and avoid situations that limit a retailers' ability to implement change while providing industry standards designed to provide greater value at lower costs. www.nrf-arts.org

ABOUT IHL CONSULTING GROUP
IHL Consulting Group is an independent business-consulting firm headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee that provides market analysis and business consulting services for information technology companies that focus on the retail industry.

For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.ihlservices.com.



CONTACT: IHL Consulting Group

Tracie Negrotto, 615/599-3702