Work from home demand sees Australian PC market flourish
The Australian PC market grew by 35.2% in the second quarter of 2020, according to new figures released by the International Data Corporation.
According to the latest IDC Quarterly Personal Computing Devices Tracker 2020Q2, the Australian PC market, which includes desktops, notebooks and workstations, reached a total of 1.422M units.
The analyst firm says the market was driven by growth in commercial and consumer segments, with commercial posting a 20% increase and consumer with a 58% increase year on year.
Shipments for desktops were boosted by the consumer segment, with strong demand for Whitebox gaming and All-in-Ones, according to the tracker.
On the other hand, demand for notebooks were strong across both commercial and consumer segments, with 46.6% and 52.4% growth respectively, bringing the total units to 1.081M.
"The commercial market saw huge demand as businesses, government, and students all moved to working from home and online learning," says Reynard Lowell, IDC Australia's associate market analyst for PC devices.
"Consumer demand was even stronger, and major retailers in Australia were well equipped for the surge in demand through online purchases, as well as other offerings such as click - collect," he says.
"Consumers are looking to purchase notebooks more than any other devices, due to the increased flexibility and productivity they offer," explains Lowell.
"Many households also suddenly found themselves in need for more notebooks, as parents and children each need their own devices for work and study," he says.
Lowell says gaming PCs also saw huge growth as people are looking for indoor entertainment and many turned to gaming to fill time or socialise virtually.
PC monitors saw a similar trajectory to the PC market, growing 53.7% year on yea, according to the tracker.
As working from home became the norm, IDC says many employees took the opportunity to set up a proper home office to allow for greater work flexibility and increase productivity.
The demand for gaming monitors also increased significantly, similar to that of gaming PCs.
IDC predicts that Australia's PC Market will continue on a strong trajectory in 2020Q3, with expected growth of +8.3%.
"The consumer market will be the main growth driver," says Lowell.
"However, the commercial market is expected to slow down, as a lot of buying has happened during the first half of the year.
"Uncertainty about the future economy will also impact capital expenditure, as businesses, particularly SMBs, will be looking to reduce and streamline costs.
