The buyers are mostly 35 – 45 years old, they care about design, listen to their wife and spend 200 euros.
Tablet PCs are becoming increasingly popular in our country, «gaining» and people over 60 years old, who had never previously used a computer. Thus, this specific market is constantly expanding in Greece and indeed at a rapid pace. Indicative is that last year 112,000 «tablets» were sold, a number that, according to data up to today, shows that this year it will more than double, exceeding 245,000.
Furthermore, sales are expected to increase even more in the coming years, with the first estimates placing them at 350,000 for 2014 and 420,000 for 2015. This means that then, not a little nor a lot, 1.1 million tablet PCs will be in the hands of Greek users.
The numbers are some of the data that Mr. Christos Kalogerakis disclosed to «K» the CEO of Westnet Distribution, which is a member of the group of companies of Mr. Germanos and one of the largest distributors of technology products in Greece. Moving 25% of the devices that one finds on store shelves, Westnet has a clear picture both for the domestic tablet PC market and for the profile of its buyers. Buyers who, according to Mr. Kalogerakis, have long since stopped being exclusively tech fanatics, as in many cases the device is intended for use by the whole family.
«In these cases, research has even shown that women's opinion plays a key role in model selection, which means that design is beginning to have a significant importance», adds. Another reason that shows that tablet PCs are not only for gadget enthusiasts is that they have become a primary choice for a gift. «This trend first appeared strongly at Christmas 2012 and continued through this year's Easter and summer», notes in «K» Mr. Kalogerakis.
Regardless of the motive, consumer preferences are largely shaped by cost. In the Greek market, there are more than 20 brands, with a wide range of prices and features. It appears that 57% of consumers choose a product whose price does not exceed 200 euros, while 11.5% spend between 200 and 300 euros.
The overwhelming majority of Greek shoppers are 35 – 45 years old. However, according to a Westnet executive, an emerging trend in our country is that some consumers are designating the device for their parents, who have tried the «tablet» of their child and thus have been convinced to acquire their first computer. «Although there are no studies yet, the picture I have is that all these people feel that the tablet literally opened a new world», notes Mr. Kalogerakis.
The same estimates that, as already happening abroad, likewise in Greece the number of older individuals who will acquire such a device will increase in the coming years. And this because the touch screen makes its use almost “intuitive” even for those who never learned to handle a PC mouse. At the same time, increasingly one will see 60‑year‑olds or 70‑year‑olds “tinkering” with the devices on store shelves. An experience that most of the time is enough so that, slowly or quickly, people who had no prior familiarity with technology will succumb to the temptation….
Mr. Kalogerakis believes that salespeople in Greek stores are now sufficiently trained so that, with a few questions, they help customers choose a model that meets their needs. «Indicative is that 39% of purchases are devices with 16 GB of storage, which is essential for anyone who wants to have access to several apps, songs or photos», he emphasizes.
Meanwhile, he adds, 30% of purchases are models with 4 GB, mainly due to cost. «Another important factor is that 76% of the “tablets” support only Wi‑Fi, which shows that almost three out of four buyers prefer either to connect to the Internet via their mobile phone, or to find free Wi‑Fi, or to use their home connection», he concludes.
Source: portal.kathimerini.gr
