A key indicator of how express, logistics and air cargo freight markets are performing are global personal computer shipments with technology consultancy, the Gartner group estimating that in the second quarter of 2009 PC shipments in Western Europe totalled 13.3 million units, a 3.3 per cent decline from the same period in 2008.

All three major markets – the UK, France and Germany – saw negative growth and Gartner believes that the decline is set to continue for the rest of 2009. Although the UK was the weakest, France and Germany were on the same trajectory.

The PC market in the UK had a weak quarter as PC shipments totalled 2.6 million units in the second quarter of 2009, a decline of 6.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2008. However the market was more robust in France, which saw a decline of just 1.2 per cent to 2.6 million units. The overall PC market in France was driven by strong mobile PC sales, which accounted for 64 per cent of total PC shipments and volumes in this sub-sector increased 14 per cent compared with the second quarter of 2008.

PC shipments in Germany totalled 2.3 million units in the second quarter of 2009, a decline of 2.7 per cent. In the second quarter of 2009, the PC market in Germany saw a seven per cent growth in mobile PC sales, which accounted for 57 per cent of total PC shipments.