14 DAY TRIAL // PC sales may be on the mend now, but it looks like not all trouble has passed if a certain report is to be believed, in regards to the expectations of the world's prime suppliers of mobile computers.
There are many things that can influence the marketing performance of a device or product type, like consumer preferences, prices, performance, aesthetics, endurance, etc.
As such, as they vary, so do sales, though economic conditions play a central part in the worldwide shipments levels as well.
During 2008 and 2009, and even some of 2010, the economic downturn really had been at its worst, though Europe isn't out of the woods yet.
In fact, it is that very region that is raising concerns in regards to not just sales expectations, but also debts incurred by retail channels, as discovered by Digitimes.
It so happens that the way PC sales have been rising slightly is not exactly an omen of good things ahead.
Instead, things will be at least bittersweet over the course of the third quarter, for such companies as HP, Acer and ASUS.
The reason for this is how retail channels from some countries in Southern Europe have incurred debts and are in the middle of something of a crisis.
More precisely, retail channels from Greece, Portugal and Italy, among others, have debts to upstream brand vendors and don't exactly possess, at the moment at least, the means to pay them off. This has caused the Q3 outlook to, so far, be unclear.
ASUS has supposedly taken measures to minimize the impact, but most Taiwanese notebooks ODMs are acting reserved in regards to shipment outlook.
On the flip side, Acer, according to the plan announced last month (June, 2011), will offer sales allowance of up to US$150 million for retail channels, hoping that this will enable it to finally clear out inventories.