IT retail in solid shape as consumer electronics sales suffer

GfK research notes show ASPs on the up as tablets and all-in-one PCs help spur IT growth

UK consumer electronics sales took a nosedive in the six months to the end of February, but the rise of the tablet and a boost in average selling prices (ASPs) helped the IT retail market post modest growth.

According to market updates published by GfK today, the value of the UK consumer electronics space slumped 18 per cent annually in the six-month period covering September to February. The value of the IT retail market jumped six per cent.

The GfK newsletter also said the IT space enjoyed a fruitful Christmas. However, February was a tougher month, with sales declining one per cent year on year. ASPs rose five per cent last month, but volume of units sold slipped six per cent.

Tablets were, predictably, the IT market's biggest success story in February, as sales grew 69 per cent. Netbooks, meanwhile, saw sales fall by exactly the same amount.

GfK noted that "the ultimate place of notebook and desktop computers is more uncertain". Last month, retailers saw the value of desktop sales grow 11 per cent annually. Success was, in part, fuelled by the popularity of all-in-one devices, which accounted for 44.2 per cent of units shifted.