No Christmas cheer for UK PC market

Consumer and B2B segments post Q4 declines as Gartner warns of another tough year in 2011

Acer and Toshiba were the big losers as the UK market for both business and consumer PCs slumped in 2010's fourth quarter.

Figures from Gartner reveal total UK PC shipments during Q4 fell 2.7 per cent annually to 3.7 million. Across the whole of 2010, shipments grew 5.4 per cent annually to 13.1 million.

For the first time in four years, the consumer market slowed down during the run-up to Christmas, with Q4 shipments declining 2.5 per cent year on year. After enduring a miserable 2010, the B2B market limped through the last three months, with unit shipments falling 3.1 per cent.

And there could be more pain to come for the UK market, according to Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.

"Uncertain economic factors and unemployment influenced consumers to delay or be conservative with discretionary spending [in Q4]," he said. "We will continue to see a tough business environment in the first half of 2011, and, until additional budget becomes available, the PC market will remain under pressure."

HP bucked the gloomy trend to enjoy a stonking fourth quarter, with UK shipments up 19 per cent year on year to 847,000. Its market share leapt more than four points to 23.1 per cent, making it by far the UK's number one manufacturer.

Acer slipped into second place after the vendor's shipments fell 15.3 per cent annually to 610,000. The Taiwanese firm's market share slumped 2.4 points to 16.7 per cent, just three tenths of a point ahead of third-placed Dell. The US manufacturer saw Q4 shipments fall three per cent year on year to 601,000.

Fourth-placed Toshiba endured a poor quarter, with the number of units shipped plummeting by a fifth on the corresponding period last year. Market share fell almost two points to 8.5 per cent.

Apple swept into fifth place, marking the first time the vendor has occupied a slot in the top five. The Mac maker grew shipments 12.9 per cent year on year to 228,000, while market increased eight tenths of a point to 6.2 per cent.