Tablet PC tops Swedes' Christmas gift lists
Swedes are expected to spend some 64.7 billion kronor ($9.3 billion) on Christmas shopping this year with the gift of the moment being a tablet PC, according to the Swedish Research Institute of Trade (Handelns utredningsinstitut - HUI).
The launch of Apple's Ipad has given the tablet PC market a new lease of life and HUI has responded to the trend by tipping the item as its gift of the year, a forecast it has made every year since 1988.
The chosen product should be new or have garnered new interest during the year. Furthermore it should have a high sales value or volume and represent the age.
"The tablet PC fulfills all the criteria for gift of the year. It has been given a real boost in sales with the launch of Apple's Ipad. That has set the trend. A slew of producers are expected to follow suit and sales explode. That the tablet PC is a sign of the times, is in no doubt," said Lena Larsson, HUI CEO, in a statement.
HUI forecast that electronics is set to dominate the battle for Swedes' holiday spending, with growth of five percent forecast over the Christmas period.
The forecast for sales over the Christmas period as a whole is for an increase of three percent on last year, according to HUI. In total Swedes are expected to spend 64.7 billion kronor over the holidays.
HUI has been nominating products as gift of the year since 1980, when the baking machine was tipped as hot off the shelves and a sign of the times. This has been followed by the videocamera, wok, CD player, TV game, a perfume, mobilephone, CD, internet subscription, electronic pet, PC game, book, DVD player, tool, cookbook, woolly hat, flat TV, a poker set, reading book, GPS, an experience, spike mat, and now the tablet PC.
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The launch of Apple's Ipad has given the tablet PC market a new lease of life and HUI has responded to the trend by tipping the item as its gift of the year, a forecast it has made every year since 1988.
The chosen product should be new or have garnered new interest during the year. Furthermore it should have a high sales value or volume and represent the age.
"The tablet PC fulfills all the criteria for gift of the year. It has been given a real boost in sales with the launch of Apple's Ipad. That has set the trend. A slew of producers are expected to follow suit and sales explode. That the tablet PC is a sign of the times, is in no doubt," said Lena Larsson, HUI CEO, in a statement.
HUI forecast that electronics is set to dominate the battle for Swedes' holiday spending, with growth of five percent forecast over the Christmas period.
The forecast for sales over the Christmas period as a whole is for an increase of three percent on last year, according to HUI. In total Swedes are expected to spend 64.7 billion kronor over the holidays.
HUI has been nominating products as gift of the year since 1980, when the baking machine was tipped as hot off the shelves and a sign of the times. This has been followed by the videocamera, wok, CD player, TV game, a perfume, mobilephone, CD, internet subscription, electronic pet, PC game, book, DVD player, tool, cookbook, woolly hat, flat TV, a poker set, reading book, GPS, an experience, spike mat, and now the tablet PC.
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