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There has been significant growth in the demand for affordable laptops led by demand from students, according to a report from Flipkart. Students are increasingly investing in devices to help boost productivity as they adapt to hybrid learning, a mix of classroom and online tutoring with the beginning of the academic year, as per the report.
According to insights by Flipkart, the demand for laptops under ₹40,000, usually considered the affordable segment, constituted over 50 per cent of the demand indicating the growing need for affordable laptops. Chromebooks witnessed 7x more searches from December 2021 to May 2022 and remained popular in this category.
Metro and tier-1 cities constituted over one-third of the demand. Further, tier-3 and beyond cities accounted for 50 per cent of the demand in Q1 2022, as compared to the 46 per cent demand witnessed over the same period last year. Cities such as Patna, Nagpur and Kanpur have witnessed increased demand in this period.
Spike in average selling price
"With brands featuring newer specifications to their devices such as faster processors, fast charging, gaming features and OLED screens, the average selling price of laptops has increased by about 10 per cent and are preferred by students for an elevated performance,” the report said.
“This has also led the brands to come up with innovative product solutions with propositions such as “lighter than air” laptops which are gradually gaining popularity with increased usage of computing devices,” it added.
Flipkart has also launched a new virtual storefront on the app called “Students Club” that will offer verified students in the age group of 13-25 years, access to curation of products, brand memberships and affordability constructs.
Rakesh Krishnan, Senior Director, Electronics at Flipkart said, “The student cohort has been one of the fastest-growing segments and we have initiated programs such as Student Club to offer a curated section of laptops to cater to students’ diverse interests. We will continue to map these evolving preferences to expand our selection, and offer a greater selection, affordability, and seamless delivery to our customers.”
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