Computer sales continue to drop radically

During the pandemic period, there was a serious increase in computer sales, as in almost every field. Of course, it was known that the pandemic would end one day and demand would return to old levels, but it was not expected that the decline would continue for such a long time. Global economic conditions continue to suppress demand. International Data Corporation’s (IDC) report for the first quarter of 2023 shows that serious declines in personal computer sales continue.

the bells are ringing

Weak demand, excess inventory and the worsening macroeconomic environment were factors that contributed to the rapid decline in shipments of traditional computers in the first quarter of 2023. Total shipments for this period of the year reached 56.9 million, according to the IDC report, which includes desktops, laptops and workstations. This number means a 29 percent decrease compared to the same quarter of 2022. When we look at the company basis, it is seen that the biggest decrease was experienced in Apple with 40.5 percent. The least decrease was recorded in HP computers with 24.2%.

The report states that despite the high discounts, the increase in inventory will continue until the middle of the year and possibly into the third quarter, so sales and prices will continue to decline. The current shipment is interestingly behind the Q1 2019 and Q1 2018 periods. You can compare the current situation from the top image and the past period from the bottom image.

The stagnation in growth and demand also gives the supply chain some room to make changes, as many factories begin to explore production options outside of China. Meanwhile, PC manufacturers are also rescheduling their plans for the rest of the year and are starting to turn to Chromebooks later this year due to the expected increase in licensing costs.

The IDC report also makes predictions for the future. According to these predictions, producers will continue to suffer in the short term. However, after the second half of the year, with the economic recovery, a transition to the growth phase can be made. However, the report underlines that the recovery will be difficult if the economic recovery extends to 2024.