PC shipments perform above expectations

PC shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) have performed above expectations.

Shipments reached 16.1 million units in the second quarter of 2016 — a 4.7 per cent year-on-year decrease, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

Western Europe stabilized at -0.8 per cent, while Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East and Africa remained constrained respectively at -8.5 per cent and -13.3 per cent.

Notebook sales largely contributed to the positive results in Western Europe, rising by 4.1 per cent. This was driven by the commercial segment that registered a 10.5 per cent increase. This brought the growth of EMEA commercial notebooks into positive territory with a 3.7 per cent year-on-year growth.

By contrast, the consumer notebook market continued to decline. Desktop PCs posted a 10.0 per cent decline overall, in line with forecasts, in EMEA.

Andrea Minonne, research analyst, IDC EMEA Personal Computing said: "In EMEA, notebook continued to outperform desktop with improvements mainly in the commercial segment.

"Multiple factors drove this growth. In the Nordics, back to school was one key contributors to shipments. Renewals and continued expansion over desktop in some sectors and countries also led to an increase. New product designs based on Skylake and Windows 10 generated large interest among business users seeking enhanced mobility features and supported new form factor penetration from a low base."

In a very diversified market, there is ongoing consolidation and the top 5 vendors’ share continues to grow. The three major players account for 56.5 per cent of the total market volume, compared with 55.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2015. 

• HP posted a strong performance, increasing its share to over 25 per cent in EMEA. The vendor’s performance was boosted by particularly strong notebook results on the commercial side, driven by a successful, innovative product strategy. 
• Lenovo maintained its second place with 19.4 per cent market share. Growth was slower, however, as it tackled a number of market challenges, especially in CEMA. Consumer notebooks and commercial desktops gained share from competitors, despite contracting from last year. 
• Dell recorded a slower quarter as it faced strong competition, especially in MEA. It benefited, however, from sustained commercial notebook growth in Western Europe. 
• ASUS was in fourth place, with notebooks contributing to its growth, especially on the consumer side thanks to the vendor’s strong and attractive line up.