Some of the top product searches on Amazon.com Inc. last week were for hand sanitizer and other products to prevent the spread of the virus, but webcams and monitors are shooting up the rankings now, according to analysis by Marketplace Pulse. “Computer monitor” rose 410 spots and “webcam” shot up 1,297 places on the list of most widely used search terms, according to the market researcher. Docking stations from Dell and Microsoft, which connect laptops to monitors and other tech gear, have also risen the ranks of best-sellers in Amazon’s electronics categories.
The personal computers at the center of all this new gadgetry are mostly being brought home from workers’ offices. That will likely limit any PC sales bump. Many people already have laptops at home, too. “Most large organizations provide knowledge workers with company laptops regardless of location,” said Mikako Kitagawa, an analyst at research firm Gartner. Before the virus outbreak caught hold in Europe and the U.S., IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani was estimating that PC shipments would drop 8.4% in the first quarter. “I don’t think it’s enough to turn the PC market around,” he said.
--With assistance from Tom Giles, Anne Cronin and Ryan Vlastelica.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.