In 1986, the global office was well into its transformation, and the humble photocopier sat at the center of that change. As companies everywhere sought greater productivity and efficiency, the demand for reliable, fast copying soared. For analysts trying to map this growth, ISIC 2821—Manufacture of office machinery and computers—offers the right statistical foothold, though as always, the code’s breadth means it’s only a starting point. Photocopiers, computers, typewriters, and other office staples all shared this category, requiring an extra step to isolate the true signal from the background.
The process begins with a registry of ISIC 2821-coded firms operating in the country or region of interest in 1986. This typically sweeps up a wide range of manufacturers, from small office equipment producers to large multinational brands like Xerox, Canon, and Ricoh. To filter for photocopier specialists, analysts should consult trade publications, product catalogues, and, where available, regulatory or customs data. Companies with a major presence in international trade shows, advertising campaigns in business magazines, or regular appearances in buyer’s guides are likely to have been significant players in the copier space.
Production volumes—usually reported in units shipped, either quarterly or annually—can be pieced together from industry analyst reports (IDC, Dataquest, and regional equivalents), as well as company annual reports for the largest firms. In many markets, customs agencies also tracked imports and exports of copiers as a distinct category, offering a further check on reported shipment numbers. These figures, while rarely perfectly complete, provide a reasonable time series of market growth.
Yet hardware production tells only half the story. The mid-1980s marked the boom in copier leasing—a trend that brought advanced, often expensive machines into small and medium-sized businesses that otherwise couldn’t afford the upfront investment. Leasing companies, sometimes affiliated with manufacturers and sometimes independent, played a crucial role in distributing and maintaining photocopiers. Their business model depended on high unit turnover and regular upgrades, making them both major customers and drivers of industry growth.
To integrate leasing data with production figures, analysts should seek out annual reports from the largest leasing firms, market research on copier financing, and, where possible, interviews or case studies from business press archives. Some leasing companies published the number of units in their fleets, average lease durations, or total new installations by year. By mapping these numbers against manufacturer shipment data, it becomes possible to estimate not just how many copiers were made, but how many actually reached the end user—and how quickly technology was being refreshed.
A further check is to compare the growth of the installed base (the total number of copiers in use) with the flow of new units into the market. In periods where leasing dominates, the installed base can grow faster than unit shipments, since older machines are refurbished and re-leased. Conversely, a market tilted toward outright purchase tends to show a tighter link between shipments and base growth.
Documentation of all sources, assumptions, and decisions is essential. Some manufacturers bundled copiers with other office equipment, complicating reporting. Leasing firms might have counted upgrades, replacements, or multi-year deals differently from one another. Market definitions, too, shifted as technology advanced—digital copiers, for example, were just starting to appear at the end of the decade.
Still, by layering ISIC 2821 firm records, shipment and leasing data, and contextual industry reports, analysts can reconstruct the contours of the photocopier market’s expansion in 1986. The growth pattern is uneven—shaped by currency fluctuations, credit availability, and regional office culture—but the outlines are clear. What emerges is not just a surge in production, but a subtle reshaping of how business technology was financed, deployed, and ultimately woven into the day-to-day life of offices worldwide.