PC sales slide sharply in Q2

More than three quarters of PCs delivered in the April-June period were sold to individuals and small companies, while the government sector and education acquired a mere 4 percent. The absence of public projects was the main reason for the major drop on the market in the first two quarters, with the first three months subject to a sharp 65 percent decline. Market players are not expecting a rebound on the market in the second half of the year, as no major projects have been announced in the public sector, companies continue to be reserved when it comes to investments, and the contribution of structural funds is insignificant in terms of the entire market.

The market was dominated by laptop sales in the first quarter, which made up some 60 percent of sales, while desktop sales made up the bulk of sales in the same period in 2008. Horia Chiţu, General Manager of Scop Computers, one of the largest distributors of IT products on the market, attributes the desktop sale decline to the sharp decline in public projects.

“Laptops drove our sales, with a 28 percent share in Q2; and our bestsellers are netbooks and Timeline products, whose main characteristic is excellent battery life. On the other hand, we also invested in price, especially in the first quarter, when we sacrificed margins to move stocks. Our business structure helped us to sustain aggressive pricing and be profitable,” according to a declaration for Business Standard by Bogdan Iftemie, Sales Manager for Acer România.