Daily Research News Online no. 2660

PC Markets Recover

October 9 2003

PCs and PC-related products have been selling well according to the 10th annual CIMS study, released this week by Millward Brown IntelliQuest. Encouragingly, after the recent downturn in the sector, single-computer households in the USA grew by 8.2m, and multiple-computer households by 9.5m in the last 12 months.

CIMS measures the product purchase behaviour and media habits of technology purchase influencers in both the home and business categories. The home technology purchase influencer group universe grew from 62m last year to 81m this year - this is defined as individuals aged 18 plus who have influence over the computer-related technology purchases for their homes, have purchased PC-related products in the past 12 months, and/or plan to purchase them in the next 12 months.

The average number of products purchased by influencers has risen from only one to two or more in the last year. The number purchasing each product type has, accordingly, risen steeply: printers by 7.7m, flat-screen monitors by 3.9m, and operating or applications software by 21.4m [NB these are increases, not absolute numbers]. Security software was no.1 on the list, purchased by 23m influencers.

According to Barbara Graham, VP of media for Millward Brown IntelliQuest, all this is good news for the technology sector, and it should continue to improve: 'Continued consumer purchasing of PC-related products as indicated in the most recent CIMS data (based on those who plan to purchase in the next 12 months) seems to indicate that the technology manufacturing sector is heading for healthier times in 2004'.

The number of female influencers rose strongly, by 11.3m, while influencers in households with annual incomes of less than $35,000 rose by 5.3m. It's no surprise that lower income households are getting in on the act, given that the average price paid for a PC has fallen from $1,525 last year to $1,245 this year, a fall of eighteen per cent.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.