IDC: PC market contracted in Q3

Figures from the market analyst IDC have shown that the PC market in Europe, the Middle East and Africa shrank by 3.8 per cent as consumer demand remained cool.

Although demand in Western Europe has been declining for some time, with trade buying shrinking by 20.6 per cent as unsold stock stacked up.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain all saw demand decline by 26.5 per cent, 31.1 per cent, 27.5 per cent and 37 per cent respectively.

Elsewhere, markets in central and eastern Europe saw growth slow down to 4.8 per cent, while the Middle East and Africa saw growth slow down to 7.4 per cent.

“In line with expectations, the Western European consumer PC market declined 20.6% in 3Q11 from a sell-in standpoint, as most channel players remained cautious with taking new orders,” said IDC research manager, Eszther Morvay.

“However, sell-out continued to improve, albeit moderately, indicating sustained focus on inventory depletion across several countries.”