The director analyst of Gartner says the latest decline in shipments means the PC market has reached its floor. | ECLIPSE PRODUCTION/Shutterstock
Gartner estimates worldwide PC shipments declined in the third quarter, but the research firm anticipates sales will begin to pick up in the fourth quarter of this year.
According to a Gartner press release, 64.3 million PCs were shipped for sale worldwide in the third quarter, down 9% year over year. It was the eighth consecutive quarter of declines. In the U.S., specifically, 16.9 million units were shipped, down 9.3% year over year.
For the U.S., the firm pointed to weak enterprise PC demand. That drop was partially offset by growth in Chromebook sales, driven by schools replacing older Chromebooks.
“There is evidence that the PC market’s decline has finally bottomed out,” Mikako Kitagawa, director analyst at Gartner, stated in a press release. “Seasonal demand from the education market boosted shipments in the third quarter, although enterprise PC demand remained weak, offsetting some growth. Vendors also made consistent progress towards reducing PC inventory, with inventory expected to return to normal by the end of 2023, as long as holiday sales do not collapse.”