Technology News
Sun, 12 Sep 1999, 9:55pm EDT
Japan's PC Sales Rise 38.4% on Year in Week Ended Aug. 29, Survey Shows
By Yoshifumi Takemoto
Japan's PC Sales Rise 38.4% on Yr in Week Ended Aug. 29: Survey
Tokyo, Sept. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Personal computer sales at
large electronics stores in Japan rose 38.4 percent in the week
ended Aug. 29 from the same period a year earlier, Nikkei Market
Access reported.
Sales at some 2,000 nationwide electrical stores rose 38.4
percent by volume and 34.3 percent by value, according to figures
supplied to the technology weekly by private research company Gfk
Japan. The figures cover approximately 25 percent of Japan's over-
the-counter PC sales and around 10 percent of the market, which
is dominated by the likes of NEC Corp., Fujitsu Ltd., IBM Japan
Ltd. and Toshiba Corp.
Private research company IDC Japan Ltd. forecast in July
that domestic PC shipments will surge 26 percent in calendar
1999, the first gain in three years, as a leap in sales to
individuals offsets sluggish corporate demand.
PC sales to individuals have surged since the release of
Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 98 operating software in July 1998 and
of Apple Computer Inc.'s iMac computer in late August 1998.
Sales have also been supported by the proliferation of
desktop models with flat-screen monitors, which offer a space-
efficient alternative to bulky cathode ray tubes.
Compared with the previous week, sales during the seven days
ended Aug. 29 increased 6.6 percent by volume and 5.9 percent by
value, recovering from a slump during traditional Bon summer
holidays last week. The average price of PCs sold fell 1,553 yen
($14.3) or 1 percent to 218,965 yen.
Average desktop prices dropped 3,384 yen to 191,679 yen,
while average notebook PC prices dropped 643 yen to 244,703 yen.
Average PC prices will probably drop later this month, after
PC makers start releasing discount desktops at prices around
100,000 yen.
The following table gives Gfk Japan's figures for the
percentage changes in PC sales from the previous week and from
the same week a year earlier:
Japan's PC sales for the week ended Aug.29
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Model From Prev. Week Y-o-Y
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Desktops (by Volume) +4.8% +25.1%
(by Value) +3.0% +17.7%
Notebooks (by Volume) +8.4% +53.8%
(by Value) +8.1% +49.9%
All PCs (by Volume) +6.6% +38.4%
(by Value) +5.9% +34.3%
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