Anyone shopping for a new computer might be in luck after new figures from industry analysts International Data Corporation (IDC) have suggested global PC shipments fell 13.4-% year-on-year during the second quarter of 2023, from 71.1 million to 61.6 million units.
IDC blames macroeconomic headwinds, a reduction in consumer and business demand, and an overall shift in IT budgets away from device purchases for the reduction, which it says represents the sixth consecutive quarter of contraction.
As such, inventory levels are above normal for many companies, leaving them with little option but to incentivize purchases in an effort to shift stock.
PC sales fall
Currently, Lenovo holds the largest market share accounting for 23.1% of global PC sales, down from 24.5% in the same period last year. It also saw an 18.4% drop in sales, from 17.4 million to 14.2 million units.
HP saw the smallest change to its shipment volumes, dropping to 13.4 million units compared with 13.5 million in the second quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, Dell saw the greatest: a drop of 22% reduced its shipments from 13.2 million to 10.3 million.
Meanwhile, Apple experienced a healthy boost in shipments of 10.3%, rising from 4.8 million to 5.3 million devices in Q2 2023.
“Apple benefited from a favorable year-over-year comparison as the company suffered supply issues during 2Q22 due to COVID-related shutdowns within the supply chain," IDC noted.
Getting it right is vital for companies to continue to measure successes while remaining cost-efficient. Group VP for IDC's Client Device Trackers, Ryan Reith, said: “Companies don't want to be caught with short supply like they were in 2020 and 2021, but at the same time, many seem hesitant to make the big bet on a market rebound.”
In the meantime, companies looking to clear inventories are offering hardware at particularly attractive price points, making now the perfect time to upgrade your PC or to negotiate a better deal on your company’s tech overhaul.
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