The PC industry saw an increased growth in shipments across the globe during the second quarter of 2020. According to reports from Gartner and IDC, shipments totaled from approximately 64.8 million to 72 million units after the implementation restrictive movement orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both sources theorised that the strong demand for PCs are attributed to the encouraged practice of working or studying from home by a majority of the world’s population as means to curb the pandemic. The reports also noted that traditional shipments had exceeded expectations in the US, Europe, Middle East, and African regions, with brands such as HP and Lenovo topping the list of PC vendors worldwide.
“The second quarter of 2020 represented a short-term recovery for the worldwide PC market,” said Gartner research director Mikako Kitagawa. “After the PC supply chain was severely disrupted in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the growth this quarter was due to distributors and retail channels restocking their supplies back to near-normal levels.”
However, both Gartner and IDC also believe that this growth may see a decrease in momentum sometime soon within this year. “With inventory still back ordered, this goodwill will continue into July,” said IDC research vice president Linn Huang. “However, as we head deeper into a global recession, the goodwill sentiment will increasingly sour.”
