A gridlocked supply chain saw Q3 record a US slowdown in spending on PCs, as global PC shipments expand. Preliminary figures released by IDC show that sales into the channel rose by 3.9% to 86.652 million units, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of growth.
However, it is also the first time since the pandemic that a single-digit percentage rise was recorded. Jitesh Ubrani, IDC research manager, said that the PC industry is held back by supply and logistical problems, adding that the issues have not improved much in recent months.
What caused the dip?
About the dip in US shipments, IDC said it was caused by Bottlenecked supply chains and ongoing logistic challenges. Compared to the strong sales period a year earlier, the dip was noticeable.
Neha Mahajan, a senior research analyst, said following a year of accelerated spending to facilitate a work-from-home reality, there has been a competitive slowdown in PC spending, which has caused the US PC market to soften.
Supply remains behind demand in some segments, with the inventory at lower-than-normal levels. Only Dell Technologies and Apple grew above the market average.
Who grew?
Dell grew 26.6% to reach 15.18 million units shipped as Apple grew 9.9% to reach 7.645 million units. Lenovo experienced 3.1% growth to reach 19.77 million, while HP shrank 5.8%, shipping 17.59 units. Acer and Asus tied in the fifth spot, growing 3.6 and 1.4 percent respectively to hit 6 million and well over 5.9 million units.
PCs took center stage as the world went into lockdown. They provide a means to work from home, entertain yourself and facilitate other activities that require people to be indoors most (if not all) of the time. There are expected price increases after previous hikes in the summer, seeing as the semiconductor shortage persists.
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