Western Europe’s PC Market Grows 3 Percent in 2Q21

During the second quarter of 2021, Western European PC shipments reached 15.0 million units, up 3% year on year. Post-COVID demand in 2021 has been stable thanks to lockdown-enforced lifestyle changes becoming permanent.

Shortages of key components remain a problem, limiting vendors’ orders and growth. Lenovo led the market, shipping 4.1 million units and taking a 27% share. HP came second, shipping 3.7 million units to take a 24% share. Dell, Acer and Apple completed the top five, with 14%, 10% and 9% shares respectively.

After four consecutive quarters of stellar growth, Western Europe recorded more modest annual growth of 3% in 2Q21. At the same time, 2Q20 was a phenomenal quarter, the first to show the COVID-accelerated spike in demand, so 3% growth now is still very impressive.

“Demand is still strong. Western Europe has emerged into a post-COVID ‘new normal’, a rapidly digitalizing world, as shown by the robust shipment numbers. Had supply issues been resolved, we could have seen even higher growth in the PC market,“ said Trang Pham, Research Analyst at Canalys.

Worldwide market leader Lenovo has now sealed its leadership in Western Europe by staying on top for three consecutive quarters. “Lenovo’s global leading market position gave it greater bargaining power with suppliers, allowing it to fulfill orders faster than its competitors, especially in Western Europe. Previous leader HP, in comparison, was unable to maintain the required balance between the US and Europe, which resulted in the vendor losing its top spot in Western Europe,“ said Pham.

Tablet shipments in Western Europe grew by 18%, with 7.9 million units shipped. “Tablets are no longer just devices for entertainment but have emerged as cheaper alternatives to PCs for remote working and  learning, and are especially popular among students with basic needs,“ added Pham.

The tablet space in Western Europe has long been dominated by Apple, which grew shipments 73% in 2Q21. Lenovo came second, with a stellar 87% annual jump in shipments. The other vendors in the top five (Samsung, Huawei and Amazon) however, all suffered declining shipments.

After extensive vaccine rollouts, Western European nations have mostly lifted COVID restrictions, paving the way for business, education and social activities to resume. Canalys has previously observed that the second quarter in Western Europe’s PC market is usually weaker, and 2Q21 was no exception.

“Many workers have now been asked to return to the office, students have been attending classes since early March and social gatherings are once again popular. Overall, the economic recovery looks promising in Western Europe. Demand for PC  products is still growing, but unlikely to skyrocket again without another catalyst as strong as the 2020 pandemic’s digital acceleration,“ said Canalys Research Manager Ben Stanton.