(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| December '98 Retail PC Prices in Japan Rise
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January 25, 1999 (TOKYO) -- Japan's retail prices of personal computers
in December 1998 posted a month-to-month increase or leveled off, contrary
to the monthly declines in previous years.
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A survey conducted by "Nikkei Best PC," a magazine for
PC buyers, on Dec. 8, 1998 and compiled by "Nikkei Market Access," the
average retail price of desktop/tower type PCs was 252,854 yen (US$2,230),
up 6,658 yen (US$60), or 2.7 percent, from November. The average retail
price of notebook type PCs was 278,275 yen (US$2,450), down slightly
by 174 yen, or 0.1 percent.
December is the month when PCs sell more briskly than in other months.
In and before 1997, the average PC retail price for December tumbled
considerably from the previous month. The drop margin ranged from several
thousand yen to more than 10,000 yen (US$88). The month-to-month decline
were attributable to retailers' intent to eliminate stocks while the
products were in high demand.
Despite this traditional trend, the average retail PC price did not go
down December 1998.
Nikkei Market Access cited three major reasons for this: (1) The manufacturers
adjusted their PC shipments, (2) New models were sold at bargain prices
from the beginning and the size of the discount retailers could offer
to their customers was not big, and (3) Demand was so strong that there
was no need for retailers to cut their retail prices.
The desktop PCs posted a month-to-month increase of nearly 7,000 yen
(US$60), supported by strong demand for high-performance models equipped
with Pentium II microprocessors and a 15-in. thin-film transistor liquid-crystal
display monitors. The average retail price of the notebook PCs has been
leveling off since October.
Nikkei Best PC is conducting this survey regularly on 14 major PC volume
shops in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya and is carrying the outcome in its
monthly issues. The survey, however, covered 16 volume shops until February
1998. The February issue carries retail prices as of Dec. 8 by model
and by shop.
Related stories:
� Desktop PC Retail Prices in Japan Fall Unexpectedly
in Nov.
� Japan's PC Sales in 3rd Week of Dec. Level Off
� Japan's PC Sales in Second Week of Dec. Expand
Sharply
� Japan's PC Sales Reach Record High in 1st Week
of Dec.
(Nikkei Market
Access)
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