TOKYO (BLOOMBERG) - Computer sales had grown at the slowest rate since the start of the pandemic due to component shortages and logistics snarls, according to the latest report by IDC.

The key United States market shrunk for the first time since sales cratered in the first quarter of 2020 with the coronavirus outbreak, the market researcher said. Shipments there fell 7.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2021 relative to the prior year, whereas the industry recorded overall growth of 3.9 per cent.

Apple, whose supply chain is among the most resilient, saw 10 per cent annual growth, while Dell Technologies marked a 27 per cent jump with the help of momentum in developing markets, IDC said.

The pandemic accelerated a transition to more flexible and remote work and study, and that demand boost has endured. It pushed sales up by double-digit percentages every three months until the most recent period, which has been marked by an intensifying shortage of basic components and delays in securing orders and production capacity.

"The PC industry continues to be hampered by supply and logistical challenges and, unfortunately, these issues have not seen much improvement in recent months," said IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani.

"We are seeing some vendors reprioritise shipments among various markets, allowing emerging markets to maintain growth momentum while some mature markets begin to slow."