CINNO: Global e-paper terminal sales increased 25% year-on-year in the first half of the year, and price tags contributed to the main increase

The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to CINNO • ePaper Insight data, in the first half of 2026, the total sales volume of electronic paper terminals worldwide was about 290 million units (sheets), an increase of 25% over the previous year. Among them, electronic paper price tag terminals sold 280 million pieces, up 27% year on year, and continued to be the core driving force for industry growth; sales of electronic paper tablets were 6.1 million units, down more than 16% year on year, down from 7.3 million units in the first half of 2025. Looking at market segments, readers sold 4.8 million units and office books sold 1.3 million units. Zhou Hua, chief analyst at CINNO, said that overall, the electronic paper application structure is further concentrated on smart retail, and there is a clear differentiation between the high price tag boom and the phased adjustment of tablets.

Global terminal sales increased 25% year over year, and price tags contributed to the main increase

According to CINNO • ePaper Insight data, in the first half of 2026, the total sales volume of electronic paper terminals worldwide was about 290 million units (sheets), up from 230 million units (pieces) in the first half of 2025 and 160 million units (pieces) in the first half of 2024. In terms of year-on-year growth, it was 44.1% in the first half of 2025 and 25.1% in the first half of 2026. The scale of the industry continued to expand, but the growth rate slowed down compared to the same period of the previous year.

Illustration: 1H'24-1H'26 global electronic paper terminal sales volume and year-on-year growth rate. Source: CINNO • ePaper Insight

By application, in the first half of 2026, e-paper price tags were sold about 280 million, and e-paper tablets were sold in the first half of 2026. Judging from the incremental structure, e-paper price tags are still the absolute main force.

The e-paper price tag market continues to expand, with 1H'26 sales reaching 280 million sheets

In the first half of 2026, global sales of electronic paper price tag terminals were 280 million, up 26.8% year on year; sales volume in the first half of 2025 was 220 million, up 43.8% year on year; sales continued to increase in the first half of the past three years, indicating that smart retail is still the most certain application scenario for the growth of the electronic paper industry.

The digital transformation of retail stores continues to advance, which is the core driver for the growth of the price tag market. The deployment of new stores and the transformation of existing stores by major retail chains brought about stable demand, and equipment updates in the European market also contributed to the increase in the industry. As multi-color e-paper price tag solutions mature, product applications are expanding from price displays to promotional information, inventory reminders, and store operation management.

Judging from industry trends, electronic paper price tags have advantages such as low power consumption, remote batch updates, and reduced manual exchange costs, and still have a strong penetrating power under the demand of retail companies to reduce costs and increase efficiency. It is expected that the price tag market will continue to grow in the second half of the year as large-scale projects continue to be delivered.

The e-paper tablet market declined year-on-year, and office books continued to grow

In the first half of 2026, global sales of e-paper tablets were 6.1 million units, down 16.4% year on year; sales volume in the first half of 2025 was 7.3 million units, up 49.0% year on year; sales volume in the first half of 2024 was 4.9 million units. The market entered a period of adjustment after rapid expansion in the first half of 2025.

By product, sales of e-paper readers in the first half of 2026 were 4.8 million units, down 21.3% year on year. Judging from the sales volume, they are still the main force in the tablet market; sales of e-paper office books were 1.3 million units, up 18.2% year on year, continuing the growth trend.

The decline in the reader market was mainly affected by the high base in the same period last year and the phased weakening of consumer demand; office books benefited from the demand for scenarios such as business meetings, handwritten annotations, and mobile office, showing greater growth resilience. As color displays, thinness, and handwriting capabilities continue to be upgraded, the tablet market still has a foundation for restoration.

Looking at the product structure, readers accounted for about 78.7% of e-paper tablet sales in the first half of 2026, and the share of office books increased to 21.3%. The market growth momentum is gradually extending from a single reading scenario to office applications.

Market outlook and trend analysis

Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, the e-paper price tag market is expected to continue to grow, driven by retail digitalization and equipment updates; the e-paper tablet market is still under pressure to repair demand in the short term, but new office books and color readers are expected to drive structural improvements.