Warranties remain an important factor in the buying process when it comes to notebook computers, The NPD Group revealed.
According to the market research firm, 20 percent of all notebooks sold with a warranty attached in May 2015 to April 2016, awarding them top billing for invoice sales in the value-added reseller channel. Although average sale prices (ASPs) of notebooks may be dropping thanks to Chromebooks, this attachment rate has remained consistent since the prior-year period.
Other facts:
*ASPs for notebooks with an attached warranty fell 22 percent year over year.
*Chromebooks accounted for 61 percent of all notebooks sold with warranties, up 164 percent year over year.
*After notebooks, warranties were most often sold with docking stations (18 percent) and monitors (almost 10 percent).
*The top five notebooks sold with warranties were all Chromebooks.
Michael Diamond, industry analysis director of commercial technology, NPD, noted: “Traditionally higher-value notebooks deliver the most attached services and accessories to the reseller. The fact that warranty sales have remained steady despite the growth in lower ASP Chromebooks is an indicator that partners are focusing on maintaining invoice value to help offset the impact of lower-priced Chromebooks.”
