Strong growth points to price war: Fierce competition in the retail channel resulted in improved soles for all major suppliers. There was a shift towards notebook sales and third quarter figures were boosted by demand in the education sector.(market overview)

Publication: Computer Trade Shopper

Publication Date: 23-NOV-05

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Reed Business Information, Inc. (US)

Buoyant activity in the back-to-school season and aggressive promotion campaigns from all major players livened up the UK PC market in the third quarter, with shipments growing at 12.5 per cent year on year.

Attractive price points coupled with growing consumer appetite for portable form factors created further momentum in the consumer notebook market, which expanded year on year by an outstanding 68 per cent.

All major suppliers registered strong performances through fierce competition in the retail channel, while Dell also contributed to stimulate consumer demand through aggressive advertising campaigns and attractive price points. The e-tailer channel also saw strong growth, with users increasingly using the Web to browse and purchase products.

The UK education market displayed healthy trends in the third quarter. Demand for desktops was sustained at nine per cent, while an increasing number of schools deployed laptops for pupils, boosting notebook sales to over 18 per cent.

Directly impacted by the market shift towards notebooks, consumer desktop sales displayed modest growth of 1.5 per cent. The increasing use...

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