Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Duker who wrote (30862)	6/7/1999 3:28:00 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com

To: Duker who wrote (30862)	6/7/1999 3:28:00 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Japan's PC Sales Decline Sharply in Second Week of May June 7, 1999 (TOKYO) -- Japan's PC sales at about 2,000 retail stores of electrical appliances in the second week of May (May 10-16) declined 35.8 percent in number of units sold, and by 38.0 percent in value, from a week earlier. However, in comparison with the same week a year earlier (May 11-17, 1998), the results showed an increase of 58.3 percent in number of units and 52.2 percent in value, according to tabulations by GfK Japan Ltd. GfK Japan is an information service company that handles POS data for 55 high-volume retail companies selling household electrical appliances. The average sales price per unit declined by 7,523 yen from 219,814 yen in the previous week to 212,291 yen. (121.22 yen = US$1) The results in the second week of May showed decreases exceeding 35 percent in both the number of units sold and value, in comparison with the previous week. If the stores had to deal only with those factors that were forecast (namely, reactions to the big increases in sales in the "Golden Week" holidays in early May and users holding back from purchases before the release of new summer models), then the falls in demand and sales would have been about a 20 percent decrease from the previous week. This was according to mass retailers of PCs in Tokyo$B%f(Bs Akihabara district. In addition to these factors, makers carried out adjustments in production of various models, which resulted in shortages of some fast-moving items, especially desktop PCs with LCD monitors, producing a big fall in sales of those models. However, in comparison with the same week in the previous year, both the number of units and value of sales still registered an increase exceeding 50 percent. The average sales price declined significantly. For desktop/tower PCs the price fell below 190,000 yen. In comparison with the peak period of the spring sales campaign, the price of desktop models declined by more than 17,000 yen. Notebook PC prices experienced a 20,000 yen fall to 238,412 yen. GfK Japan collects POS data from 55 IT-related retail sales companies centering on high-volume stores specializing in home appliances. It covers about 3,200 stores (as of April 1998) throughout Japan. Nikkei Market Access provides weekly reports of PC sales in volume and value, in cooperation with GfK Japan. The sales data has been based on the same 41 companies (with about 2,000 stores) since April 1996. The number of PCs sold at the 2,000 stores is estimated to comprise about 10 percent of gross domestic shipments, and when limiting the sales to retail sales channels, the share comes to about 25 percent of such shipments. nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com