Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

Back To School No Help To PC Sales

Port Washington, N.Y. – Computer sales during the 10-week back-to-school selling period fell slightly this year, according to a study by The NPD Group.

The research firm reported sales declined 2.5 percent with laptop sales falling 2 percent and desktops down 5 percent year over year. NPD noted that sales of Chromebook and notebooks with touchscreens helped offset the decline.

Chromebooks added about 175,000 units into the market this year and touchscreen notebooks accounted for 25 percent of all sales. Also giving a boost were sub-$300 priced Windows laptops.

Every other segment of the computer market proved a drag on sales.

Even the vaunted Apple name could not help Macbook sales as sales fell 3 percent this year. Macbook average selling prices were also dramatically off falling to $1,284 from $1,445.

Mainstream Windows notebooks also had a rough summer with those priced between $300 and $700 seeing unit sales decline 16 percent. The average selling price for these models was $478.

“Chromebooks and Windows Touch helped offset what could have been much steeper declines this back-to-school season,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “While these results are better than the almost 4 percent decline from the first half of the year, any declines in the crucial back-to-school period leave reason to be concerned for the upcoming holiday season.”

Featured

Close