HP Inc. and Dell Technologies Inc. are seeing demand for computers outpacing their ability to satisfy customer orders as shortages and supply-chain issues hold back sales growth.
Personal computers last year registered the strongest shipment growth in a decade, driven by a pandemic boost to sales as more people work remotely. But supply-chain challenges that are disrupting a swath of industries also are denting computer sales.
International Data Corp., one of the leading research firms that tracks device sales, this week cut its projected 2021 PC shipments growth to 14.2%, from 18%, citing shortages and logistical issues. It added that PC demand should persist, though, particularly from the business and education sectors.
“We are selling everything that we build,” HP Chief Executive Enrique Lores said Thursday. “Demand continues to be strong and the backlog continues to grow,” he said in an interview, adding that the amount of orders taken in and yet to be fulfilled was the equivalent of a full quarter’s business.
Mr. Lores said HP was seeing mostly shortages in low-cost components that are used across industries and said he expected those to stretch possibly into early 2022.
