Ukraine War Sent Western Europe's Q1 PC Shipments Tumbling: Canalys

Western Europe’s economic output will remain “heavily weighed down by high inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine,” said Canalys Monday, saying PC shipments in the region dropped 3% year on year in Q1 after “after a long period of high growth.” Shipments reached 15.8 million in the quarter, led by Lenovo (4.1 million), HP (3.9 million), Dell (2.2 million), Apple (1.8 million) and Acer (1.2 million). “With the current economic outlook for 2022, consumer spending is expected to soften as spending power weakens,” said analyst Trang Pham. After consumers deemed PCs “essential” for the past two years, they are now expected to delay new purchases and upgrades “unless completely necessary,” Pham said. Businesses are expected to prop up demand as “multiple markets have officially moved toward business-as-usual operations,” she said. Tablet shipments fell 22% in Q1, with demand having passed its peak in key markets that are “near saturation,” said the analyst.