PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
GfK has warned that desktop sales over the next couple of years are heading in an uncertain direction after the gap between deskbound and mobile computers grew to its largest percentage according to the market research firm.
It warned that while shipments were – and are – expected to be down, the level of decline exceeded expectations of many analysts and are a genuine cause for concern in the industry.
However, it wasn’t just computers that appear to be suffering, with the firm also citing difficulties in the printer, scanner and LCD monitor markets are being affected by the downturn in desktop sales.
It also warned that it is seeing worrying signals in the mice, keyboard, webcam and speaker markets as users move towards all-in-one laptops, sales of which grew by 43 per cent during the period.
Despite that, overall sales of consumer electronics were up by 12.5 per cent and IT equipment by 6.6 per cent, but the firm warned that the current economic environment was finally beginning to take its toll, despite signs that the technology market was resisting many of the problems.
