Mintel’s last report on computer retailing was written as part of the UK market intelligence series and was published in August 2005. Even within this small period of time there have been significant developments in the PC retailing market. The most noticeable development in the past few years has been the emergence of the laptop to challenge the desktop’s market dominance. This can be attributed to market requirements, as the consumer now demands greater flexibility, portability and power. In addition to this, continued price drops combined with continued economic prosperity have made this product more accessible to the general public. While consumers require greater performance they also expect retail prices to drop, as production becomes more efficient, however this has put greater strain on manufacturers and retailers who are faced with an increasingly shorter product lifespan as well as squeezed profit margins.

Mintel’s last report on computer retailing was written as part of the UK market intelligence series and was published in August 2005. Even within this small period of time there have been significant developments in the PC retailing market. The most noticeable development in the past few years has been the emergence of the laptop to challenge the desktop’s market dominance. This can be attributed to market requirements, as the consumer now demands greater flexibility, portability and power. In addition to this, continued price drops combined with continued economic prosperity have made this product more accessible to the general public. While consumers require greater performance they also expect retail prices to drop, as production becomes more efficient, however this has put greater strain on manufacturers and retailers who are faced with an increasingly shorter product lifespan as well as squeezed profit margins.

This report provides an analysis of the computer retailing market as well as providing an in-depth analysis of the factors, which drive the market, the key manufacturers of computers and key distributors although the software market is not encompassed within this report.