Desktop and laptop sales in North America rose sharply in Q1 2025 as buyers moved quickly to avoid possible price hikes tied to U.S. trade tariffs. According to IDC, personal computing sales through distributors reached $4.07 billion, marking a 27.8 percent year-over-year increase. This pushed total IT distribution revenue to $19.9 billion for the quarter, up 7.6 percent from the same time last year.
Desktops saw the highest growth at 35.3 percent. Notebooks rose 26.9 percent, while workstations jumped 49.3 percent. Detachable tablets were the only segment to decline, falling 5.4 percent.
IDC said the surge was mainly driven by uncertainty around U.S. tariff policy. Commercial buyers accelerated orders to avoid expected cost increases. In April, the U.S. announced new tariffs on Chinese goods, including tech products, with rates exceeding 100 percent in some cases. A 90-day enforcement delay has not eased concerns, prompting early purchases across the channel.
Other categories showed smaller changes. Software, which is not impacted by tariffs, grew 13.2 percent year-over-year to $4.5 billion. Key drivers were storage, security, and system infrastructure software, which made up more than half of total software revenue. Network infrastructure was up 1 percent, while AV and services posted small year-over-year declines.
IDC’s chart shows a clear rise in personal computing revenue compared to previous quarters. The spike stands out across all product groups and reflects how policy uncertainty influenced buying behavior.
Analysts expect this trend to be short-term. Sales may decline in the second half of 2025 as early stockpiling slows and tariff enforcement begins.
(Source)
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