While market value and volume sales in the desktop, laptop and tablet markets have been in decline for several years, the situation will be worsened in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. The boost in sales due to the surge of homeworking will have been short-lived, with the impact of supply chain outweighing any positive effects. The economic uncertainty will see most consumers look to retain existing devices as long as possible, while store closures made it difficult to drive sales, with most people wanting to see more expensive items in-person before making a purchase. The market for desktop, laptop and tablet computers will decline by 4% in 2020 to £2.9 billion, down from £3.1 billion in 2019.

The desktop market has continued to lose share to laptops as the latter have continued to grow in sophistication and offer consumers more processing power than the average user requires, at a comparable price point to the average desktop. This means people can retain the same device for many years without it becoming obsolete. Growth in desktop sales is reliant on more advanced users looking to customise their computer, particularly prevalent in the gaming market, where people are seeking ever-increasing processing power.

For the most part we’ve only seen incremental innovation in recent years, although there has been uptake in hybrid laptops with foldback or detachable touchscreens. The lines are increasingly blurring between devices, with foldable and dual-screen technology set to perpetuate this trend long term. Larger smartphone screens have encroached on the tablet market but larger tablets and high-end accessories such as Apple’s iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard are encroaching on the traditional laptop market. There is also strong take-up for Chromebooks, with younger demographics in particular happy to switch from more traditional laptop operating systems towards one that is more similar to those they are used to on smartphones and tablets.

• The impact of COVID-19 on sales of desktop, laptop and tablet computers in 2020 and beyond.

• Consumers’ attitudes towards the purchase process for desktop, laptop and tablet computers.

• The most important factors to consumers when choosing between brands.

• The most interesting innovations in the category, and which are most likely to appeal to consumers.

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

‘Desktop’ refers to computers intended for use at a single location. It covers tower units and all-in-ones with an integrated display.

‘Laptop’ refers to computers which have the display and primary input devices integrated into one unit and are intended for mobile use. The term covers notebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks, netbooks, detachable and convertible laptops.

‘Tablet’ refers to a computer with an integrated touchscreen that is intended to be a primary input device. The term covers slate form factor tablets as well as hybrid tablets that come with a detachable keyboard and can be transformed into a laptop form factor.