COVID-19 pandemic boosts sales of PCs and tablets in S. Korea

By Park Sae-jin Posted : August 12, 2020, 11:25 Updated : August 12, 2020, 11:25

[Courtesy of ETLAND]


SEOUL -- Telecommuting and online home school classes adopted in South Korea to help stem a COVID-19 epidemic has boosted sales of personal computers, laptops and tablets, industrial data showed.

The pandemic has caused a noticeable change in the lifestyle of many people in South Korea. A countrywide social distancing campaign prompted workers to telecommute at home. Online classes have been provided for school students. 

According to data on sales of home appliances from February 1 to June 30, released by ETLAND on August 12, sales of PCs, laptops and tablets were up 56 percent from a year ago thanks to the high demand for computing devices. 

Sales of TVs rose 11 percent over the same period. ETLAND said that consumers who were not able to travel overseas purchased new home appliances to upgrade outdated devices or add new appliances.

A similar sales pattern was witnessed in the global market. Global PC shipments that had been disrupted by the increased distribution of smartphones totaled 261.2 million units in 2019, up 0.6 percent from a year ago, according to global market research company Gartner.

Global PC shipments totaled 64.8 million units in the second quarter of 2020, up 2.8 percent from the same period last year. Gartner said the increase was driven by factors such as the increased number of remote workers and students who take online classes.
 
기사 이미지 확대 보기
닫기