Demonetisation after-effects: Lenovo claims a 20% drop in PC sales and seasonal slowdown

Lenovo today said its PC sales have fallen by over 20 per cent in the past few weeks due to the twin impact of demonetisation and seasonal slowdown post Diwali. However, the company has adopted measures like partnering with mobile wallet company Paytm and rolling out EMI schemes to help make purchases smoother for customers facing cash crunch. “The first couple of weeks were quite hard hit. We are already seeing almost a full recovery in our top towns and channels like LFR (large format retail) and exclusive stores to an extent. “Smaller towns, the recovery is slower. They have still not come back to pre-levels,” Lenovo India Director Marketing Bhaskar Choudhuri told PTI. Lenovo has gone on a “war path” to see what can be done to help customers. “We have partnered Paytm. We have also rolled out EMIs to take care of people’s cash crunch,” he said. Asked about the magnitude of the impact, Choudhuri said, “It was upwards of 20 per cent (hit). Its vis-a-vis what we see post Diwali, where there is already a slump.” Sales in categories like mobile phones and tablets have been impacted after the government announced scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Lenovo today launched its new Yoga Book – which is the world’s thinnest 2-in-1 laptop – priced at Rs 49,990. The Windows 10-powered device will be sold exclusively through Flipkart and comes with Real Pen stylus, Book Pad and Real Pen Ink Refills. It also features the ‘halo keyboard’ which is touch-based and lights up whenever the user needs it. When the user uses the Real Pen stylus instead, the keyboard disappears and it turns into a giant writing slab. PTI