PC Market Posted a Decline in 4Q18 in EMEA

The Europe, Middle East, and Africa traditional PC market came in negative in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to IDC. The market declined -5.8% YoY totaling 19.6 million units, The commercial space posted a slight decline of -1.1% YoY, supported by ongoing device renewals and the increasing adoption of Windows 10, while the consumer space suffered a heavier decline (-10.6% YoY), recording a decrease in both desktops and notebooks.

The Western European traditional PC market registered an overall decline of 4.7% YoY, with a slight commercial growth (1.3% YoY) that was insufficient to offset the impact of the heavy consumer decline (-11.5% YoY). The commercial segment improved from the previous quarter driven by a stable notebook performance. On the consumer side, both product categories experienced comparably weak performances this quarter. Ultramobile, convertible and gaming devices showed strong signs of resilience this quarter.

The Central and Eastern Europe region recorded 1.0% YoY growth. Both the consumer and commercial segments remained afloat thanks to several deals and increased orders from retailers to prevent shortages of products in the holiday season. Notebooks recorded 2.1% YoY growth, whereas desktop shipments remained negative. Russia has been undoubtedly the booster of regional growth, despite swings in local currency during the year and uncertainty around imposed sanctions. The Middle East and Africa region reported the second consecutive quarter of strong decline. Total shipments contracted by 18.2% YoY.

Traditional PC market consolidation persisted, and the top 3 vendors' share continued to grow in the quarter. The top 3 players accounted for 65.6% of total market volume, compared with 63.4% in 4Q17. HP experienced weak results from notebooks, which coupled with weaker desktop performance drove the overall shipments decline of 6.8% YoY. ​Lenovo increased its market share in the quarter due to stronger commercial demand for desktops and notebooks.

Dell excelled once again in the commercial segment where desktops grew double digit while notebooks increased single digit on a YoY basis. ​Acer experienced solid performance in big markets such as Russia, France, and the U.K., which contributed to the company's flat to slightly growing market share. ​Apple managed shipment growth with the launch of its new MacBook Air and Mac mini, despite continued erosion in the EMEA market.