(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| Japan's PC Sales Reach Record High in 1st Week of Dec.
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January 5, 1999 (TOKYO) -- Japan's sales of personal computers toward
the end of 1998 were brisk, and the number of PCs sold in the first
week of December 1998 reached a record high.
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According to data collected by GfK Japan Ltd.,
PC sales at 2,000 retailers of electric appliances in the first full
week of December (Dec. 7 through 13) increased 20.2 percent in number
and 21.2 percent in value from the previous week. (See
table.)
GfK Japan Ltd. is an information service company that handles point of
sales (POS) data.
In comparison with the same period a year earlier (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14,
1997) sales increased 77.2 percent in units and 76.6 percent in value,
GfK Japan also said.
The average sales price rose 1,826 yen from 230,140 yen (US$2,020) to
231,966 yen (US$2,040).
The number of units sold in the first week of December 1998 reached the
highest level since Nikkei Market Access started compiling the survey
in April 1996. It exceeded the record in the fourth week of March 1997,
when many customers purchased PCs immediately before the increase in
the consumption tax that went into effect in April 1997.
However, the sales value was the second highest on record, following
the fourth week of March 1997, because the average sales price of a
PC has declined since then. The average price was 250,562 yen (US$2,200)
in March 1997, and it decreased by 7.6 percent in the first week of
December 1998.
As concerns 1998 winter sales, the average sales price appears to be
stable. No sharp fluctuations have been seen since an increase of more
than 8,000 yen (US$70) to 230,139 yen (US$2,020) in the first week of
November 1998.
Sales of notebook PCs were brisk in the first week of December. Week-on-week
growth in sales of notebook PCs surpassed that of desktop PCs for the
first time in seven weeks (since the third week of October 1998).
The data GfK Japan releases are from about 2,000 outlets of 41 firms.
GfK Japan selected the 41 firms in 1996 and has been releasing their
data since then.
GfK Japan covers outlets with combined unit-based sales accounting for
about 10 percent of total domestic PC shipments and about 25 percent
of total retail sales.
The following graphs are at the
Nikkei Market Access Web site in Japanese only:
- Trends in the number of (all types of) PCs sold in a week.
- Trends in the sales amount (in money) of (all types of) PCs in a week.
- Trends in average sales price of (all types of) PCs sold in a week.
- Trends in the number of desktop PCs sold in a week.
- Trends in the sales amount of desktop PCs in a week.
- Trends in the average sales price of desktop PCs in a week.
- Trends in the number of notebook PCs sold in a week.
- Trends in the sales amount of notebook PCs in a week.
- Trends in the average sales price of notebook-size PCs in a week.
Table: PC sales in the first week of December 1998 (GfK Japan survey)
Comparison
with the same week in the previous year refers to Dec. 8 through Dec.
14, 1997. |
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(return to news)
Related story: PC
Sales in Fifth Week of Nov. Approach Record High
(Nikkei
Market Access)
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