Volume sales of tablets through the distribution channel in Western Europe were up by +21% year-on-year in October 2018 following a return to growth earlier in the year, according to the latest distribution data published by CONTEXT, the IT market intelligence company.
Much of the early Q4 growth was driven by Huawei. The vendor continued to increase its footprint across distribution and posted +221% year-on-year growth in October, securing a 20.5% volume share and overtaking Samsung to become the second-largest tablet seller in the distribution channel – even though Samsung also saw strong growth of +23%. Apple retained its strong No. 1 position but lost share on the back of a +4% increase in volumes.
Most tablet sales (nearly 60%) were into retail and consumer etail, and volumes were up by more than +20% year-on-year as the channel prepared for Black Friday and the pre-Christmas season. Volume sales to business channels also increased, albeit from a smaller base.
“Tablet sales through Western European distributors picked up in Q2 2018 following a long period of decline”, said Marie-Christine Pygott, senior analyst at CONTEXT. “More recent growth has mostly been driven by the top three vendors, as many top-tier PC manufacturers and smaller vendors have left the segment or reduced their focus on tablet innovation and marketing.”
