Indirect Sales Will Account for Most of Worldwide PC Shipments by 2012 Jun 4, 2009

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PC customer buying preferences will continue to push the PC market from direct to indirect during the next 4 years, forcing manufacturers to do a better job of market strategies, according to a report from Gartner, Inc. The indirect channel accounted for 66.6% worldwide PC shipments in 2004, and it grew to account for 74.3% of shipments in 2008 due to emerging market expansion.

Direct market resellers (DMRs) will be the fastest-growing indirect sales channel — although the market size will be relatively small at less than 5% of the total market by 2012 — and will continue to play a crucial role in any PC manufacturers’ go-to-market (GTM) market model, especially in the U.S., the report said.

For the home segment, Gartner said that most customers prefer retailers for their PC purchases, allowing them to shop for multiple brands, features, and functionality and price, all in one place. In mature markets, the direct channel comes second to retailer store fronts, with a sales volume of less than 10 percent of the segment. In mature markets, retailers with actual store fronts are also the dominant channel for consumer PCs, and Gartner predicts that future growth during the next 4 years will be fueled by steady home market growth in both mature and emerging markets.

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