Desktop monitor sales still falling in EMEA

Shipments down in Q3, according to Meko

Sales of desktop monitors across EMEA – particularly in the UK – have continued to shrink overall in the third quarter year on year.

Azhar Mohd-Hashim, desktop monitors analyst at Meko, confirmed that the latest DisplayCast figures recorded shipments that were down 3.6 per cent – to 10.8 million units worth $2.38bn (£1.51bn) – on the third quarter of 2009.

In the UK the contraction was 19 per cent year on year. “For three quarters we have had year-on-year growth, so we were hoping for a recovery. People were saying that 2009 was bad, but it looks like we are still taking time to recover,” Mohd-Hashim said.

“We are still expecting the market to grow slightly this year, however.”

Sales overall increased by 12.5 per cent over the previous quarter, but they were lower than the same period in 2009.

A bounce-back was expected in the final quarter as delayed sales came through in the wake of discounts and special offers.

According to Mohd-Hashim, the strongest desktop monitor segment is larger screens, specifically 22in and 24in displays with full HD, and this preference is likely to continue.

“Those are really taking over from the 18.5in to 19in category,” he said. “People are pushing for larger sizes ... because they can help increase productivity. The more you can see, the more you can do.”

Meanwhile, organisations are struggling with shrunken budgets overall, so are prioritising purchases.

As a result, new displays may be lower down the list than implementations such as virtualisation or a Windows 7 upgrade.

VARs should perhaps offer larger screens that are a genuine upgrade and might tempt users, Mohd-Hashim said. Meko’s findings echo those of DisplaySearch on TVs.

DisplaySearch said this month that, after several quarters of mid-20 per cent year-on-year growth, annual global TV shipment growth slowed to nine per cent in Q3.