Since PC sales are collapsing, prices are melting!

The market of computer saw a historic drop in sales in the fourth quarter of 2022. To empty inventory and rekindle demand, promotions are rife, causing prices to plummet.

We reported to you a few months ago that PC sales were in the red in the third quarter of 2022, the situation did not improve in the last quarter of the year that has just ended. Bad news for manufacturers, but not necessarily for consumers.

A historic drop in PC sales

According to figures from analyst firm Gartner, 65.3 million computers were sold worldwide in the last three months of 2022, down 28.5% compared to the same period of the year. last. This is the largest year-over-year drop recorded since Gartner observed this market (mid-1990s).

Also according to the firm, PC sales amounted to 286.2 million for the whole of 2022. This represents a 16.2% decrease in deliveries compared to the year 2021.

IDC, another analysis firm, evokes similar figures: 292.3 million units sold in 2022, including 67.2 million in the fourth quarter. The figures for the last quarter are down 28.1% compared to Q4 2021, according to this source.

Falling prices and galore promotions

IDC and Gartner are concerned and do not expect a short-term improvement. 2023 should be another complicated year for PC manufacturers. Two reasons are put forward to explain this phenomenon: inflation which reduces the purchasing power of households and the fact that users have already recently equipped themselves with computers, during the health crisis.

For IDC, the consumer market will remain at a low level in 2023, but there are growth factors for the professional segment, between the end of support for Windows 10 which will approach and the need to renew office equipment with the end of telework.

The firm adds that “average selling prices have fallen”, brands and distributors trying to get rid of their stocks by dint of promotions in order to stimulate demand. What if it was the best to buy?

Source : ZDnet