CEA: PC Unit Shipments Climb
By Doug Olenick -- TWICE, 1/24/2005
Arlington, Va. — The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reported that unit and dollar shipments of PC rose in 2004 and this trend is expected to continue this year.
The CEA stated that about 20 million PC units were shipped last year, totaling $17.2 billion in sales. This is up from the 18.1 million shipped in 2004, which generated $15.6 billion in sales. Looking forward the association is projecting that about 1.7 million more PCs will ship this year with sales hitting $18.3 billion.
These increases have led to a 70 percent home penetration of PCs in the United States as of January 2005, up two percentage points from June 2004.
After a two-year hiatus that saw average PC unit selling prices stay steady at $860, the CEA is forecasting a $17 fall-off in 2005 to $843.
Another anticipated bright spot for the industry will be inkjet and laser printers.
The CEA anticipates 3.3 million more units will ship in 2005 for a total of 26.3 million. Sales will hit $5.6 billion, a $400 million increase over 2004. Average selling prices will continue their five-year decline, dipping $3 to $215 this year.
