PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
PC and tablet sales are down, but laptops and all-in-ones are on the rise. Dominic Sacco crunches the latest data…
Tablets and traditional desktops may be taking a tumble, however there are reasons to stay optimistic with other form factors now showing promise.
At PCR Boot Camp in May, analyst GfK shared UK retail sales data with delegates, illustrating the current state of the PC market.
In Q1 2015, tablet sales were down 28 per cent year-on-year in terms of volume, and 38 per cent in value, with ASPs (average selling prices) dropping 14 per cent to £145.
On the desktop side, sales are down ten per cent in volume, 21 per cent in value and ASPs have fallen ten per cent to £347. Thankfully, the laptop resurgence we saw last year is continuing, with volume sales up 21 per cent during Q1 2015, and value sales up seven per cent.
All-in-one (AIO) desktops enjoyed a rise in sales, too, with a whopping 49 per cent increase in volume and 21 per cent in value. However, AIOs and laptops did see their ASPs tumble 11 per cent to £347.
GfK’s business group director Megan Moore says: “The two areas declining in IT are desktops and tablets, but all-in-ones are up 50 per cent and laptops are on the increase. Consumers are data driven these days, meaning networking is also growing by 19 per cent, and powerline networking grew by nearly 30 per cent in Q1 2015.”
IDC also admitted the consumer tablet sector is tough, declining 10.5 per cent year-on-year across Western Europe in Q1 2015, but mentioned that there is growth in the commercial space (with volumes rising 51.3 per cent). It also highlighted that 2-in-1 shipments rose 44.4 per cent.
“In the absence of major product launches, the beginning of 2015 failed to stimulate stronger consumer demand,” says Chrystelle Labesque, research manager for IDC EMEA Personal Computing. “Growth opportunity, however, clearly continues to come from enterprises and professional segments. Vendors have significantly expanded their product portfolio with devices optimised for business usage. Demand for 2-in-1 devices is gathering momentum driven by improved hardware offers as well as adjusted price points that are attracting private users as well as professionals.”
