PC shipments declined by 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 to 55.2 million units due to a combination of oversupply and economic uncertainty, new research suggests.

According to technology research firm Gartner, this is the second consecutive quarter where shipments have fallen, following a drop to the lowest recorded levels last quarter.

Gartner said the anticipation of a global recession, increased inflation and higher interest rates had caused a drop in demand, while many consumers already have relatively new PCs which were purchased during the pandemic.

Mikako Kitagawa, director analyst at Gartner, said that PC vendors are beginning to stop offering discounts to sell their inventory.

“Essentially, PC vendors pursued a strategy to protect margins rather than to pursue market share by lowering prices,” he continued. “Average selling prices will increase moderately in 2023 as vendors pass the cost increases for new PCs entering the channel to end users.”

The research demonstrated that Lenovo maintained its position as market leader with a share of 23 per cent, however the company recorded the steepest annual shipment decline over the past two quarters.

Shipments at HP also declined, dropping by 37 per cent in the EMEA region compared to a year ago. Dell saw its fourth consecutive quarter of year-over-year decline with shipments in Asia Pacific down by over 40 per cent.

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