July Tech Sales Jumped 18% Even With No Prime Day: NPD’s Baker

Consumer tech retail sales exceeded a record $2.2 billion in the week ended Aug. 8, up 34% from the comparable 2019 week, reported Stephen Baker, NPD vice-president-technology industry adviser. July revenue increased 18% year over year, even against the tough comparison with the July 2019 Amazon Prime Day event (see 1907150062), emailed Baker Tuesday. Amazon’s chief financial officer said recently that Prime Day 2020 will be in Q4 (see 2007310023). The back-to-school frenzy is in “full swing,” said Baker, and sales of “productivity-focused” products “have picked back up,” with PCs “fueling much of the growth.” Laptop revenue was up 64% in the week ended Aug. 8 from the same 2019 week, he said. Dollar sales in other connectivity goods also soared “as preparations for distance learning drive sales of a slightly altered set of products for Back to School,” he said. PC headset revenue was up 127% from a year earlier, and monitors and routers jumped 97% and 87% in revenue, respectively, said Baker.