Gaming laptop sales surge as Covid keeps people home

Theo Khuong Nha - VNE 18/05/2021 - Sci/Tech

Electronics stores are reporting a sharp rise in the sales of gaming laptops as the latest Covid-19 outbreak keeps young people at home.

A person plays a first-person shooter game on a laptop. Photo by VnExpress/Bao Lam.

CellphoneS, which has 48 stores, said sales have been up five times in recent weeks.

Prices have risen by 10 percent due to low supply, and are set to rise further, it said.

GearVN, which has three outlets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, said sales have risen by 10-20 percent since the latest outbreak began.

Adults buy laptops costing VND20-30 million ($870-1,300), and get something under VND20 million for children, Le Thai Tu, a spokesperson, said.

FPT Shop, which accounts for around 30 percent of the gaming laptop market in Vietnam, said demand in the VND20 million segment has been rising this month.

Gaming laptops are not just for entertainment but also for tasks such as video editing, Nguyen The Kha, a spokesperson for the chain, said.

The chains attributed the rising demand to the latest Covid-19 outbreak in 27 localities that began on April 27, forcing students and adults to stay at home. Hanoi students have a near two-week early summer break starting May 15.

The shortage of laptop parts globally due to rising demand in Europe and the U.S. would hit imports to Vietnam this year, industry insiders said.

18/05/2021