Apple snags 14 percent of US-based PC retail sales in February
Growth in Apple's personal computer business continued to outpace the industry average last month, with Macs accounting for a 14 percent unit share and 25 percent dollar share of all US-based PC retail sales, according to market research firm NPD.
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple's earlier 6.1% U.S. PC share and its 8.1% share in the third quarter of 2007 documented a steady expansion in a broader market measure. Its 10% share of U.S. retail notebook sales also showed that retail demand was becoming an important part of that advance.
NPD's February figures sharpen the commercial significance: Apple's dollar share materially exceeds its unit share, indicating that Macs are contributing disproportionately to retail PC revenue as well as volume.
First-order effects
- Apple captures 14% of U.S. retail PC units and 25% of retail PC dollars in February, giving Macs an unusually large revenue presence in the channel.
- The gap between Apple's unit and dollar shares confirms that its retail sales mix is weighted toward higher-value PCs relative to the market measured by NPD.
Second-order effects
- U.S. PC retailers have a stronger revenue incentive to give Macs prominent floor space and sales attention, because each Apple unit contributes more to category dollars than its unit share alone suggests.
- Other PC makers competing in U.S. retail face pressure to defend both volume and revenue position against Apple rather than treating Macs as a small premium niche.
Third-order effects
- If the unit-to-dollar-share gap persists, the U.S. PC retail market shifts toward competition for premium revenue pools, not simply the largest shipment totals.
- Apple's progression from earlier share gains to a larger retail-dollar presence points to a PC market in which product mix and channel economics can matter as much as unit share.
The trend: U.S. PC retail competition is increasingly being shaped by premium dollar share, with Apple converting growing Mac demand into disproportionate channel revenue.