Hassouna Al Tayeb (Abu Dhabi)
At the fastest rate of decline in 20 years, personal computers experienced a significant drop in exports of nearly 20%, despite back-to-school promotions, which failed to boost sales.
And demand for these devices has declined, after sales rebounded during the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, which was followed by slow consumer spending in the electronics sector. Exports of personal computers fell during the third quarter, by 19.5%, compared to the same period last year, indicating the sharpest decline in more than two decades. Exports of these device makers globally reached 68 million units in the last quarter of this year, down from 84.5 million units exported in the same period of 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.
According to Mikako Kitagawa, Gartner Research Strategist, the PC market is going through a historic phase of decline in its exports this quarter. As the turmoil in global supply chains has subsided, the manufacturing backlog has turned into a major problem in light of weak demand for devices in both public and private sector markets.
The backlog of container ships from New York to Houston has spilled into American supply chains, which are already struggling. Furthermore, the sales that coincided with the back-to-school season did not live up to expectations, regardless of the promotional campaigns and price cuts, which aim to boost sales. The slow growth of the world economy has also led the business sector to be more cautious in spending decisions.
And the personal computer market in America suffered a 17.3% decline during the third quarter of this year, driven by a decline in laptop sales, according to Gartner Research.
On the other hand, International Data, which operates in the field of data collection, said that global exports of personal computers fell by 15% during the third quarter, to 74.3 million units, while remaining above the levels before the outbreak of the epidemic Covid 19.
The sector has been able to obtain large profits, benefiting from the revival of sales of electronic devices, thanks to the request of families and businesses to buy personal computers, for the need to work remotely and for students to receive lessons from home. But it is not easy for the consumer to return to such levels soon, due to his reluctance to spend, in light of high inflation rates and the emergence of other conditions related to the economy as a whole.
Large companies working in personal computer manufacturing, such as HP and Dell Technologies, have warned of the decline in consumer demand in recent months and the impact on supply chains.
Meanwhile, Advance Micro Devices, the chip maker, has cut its forecasts for the third quarter, taking into account the lower-than-expected demand for personal computers using these chips. The company expects sales of $ 5.6 billion for the quarter, down from its previous forecast of $ 1.1 billion.
