Average distributor sell prices for PCs increased by +6.3% in the first half of 2015 across Western European eurozone countries, according to data published by CONTEXT, the European IT market analysis company.
The rise in consolidated ASPs for Desktops, Notebooks and PC Workstations – from €450 in January to €479 in early June – was partly the result of price increases implemented by vendors in an attempt to mitigate the effects of currency fluctuations on PC margins.
Earlier this year, many PC vendors had commented on the need to bring up prices following the strong depreciation of the euro against the US dollar in the second half of 2014 and into 2015. The increase was also the result of a shift in the product mix, driven partly by a decline in the share of low-end, Microsoft Bing-based systems towards the end of the 6-month period. In February Bing products still accounted for almost 15% of all PCs sold through distribution in eurozone countries but their share was down to 5.8% in early June.