Samsung stops laptop sales in Europe

Samsung is ending its laptop sales in Europe, the company has announced.

The move includes its Chromebook model, which had previously been one of the category’s best-sellers.

The South Korean company’s decision follows Sony’s announcement earlier this year that it was selling its Vaio division and pulling out of PC sales altogether.

However, other companies have recently reported growth in the sector.

Samsung signaled it might consider similar action in other parts of the globe.

“We quickly adapt to market needs and demands,” said the company in a statement.

“In Europe, we will be discontinuing sales of laptops including Chromebooks for now.

“This is specific to the region – and is not necessarily reflective of conditions in other markets.

“We will continue to thoroughly evaluate market conditions and will make further adjustments to maintain our competitiveness in emerging PC categories.”

According to analysts, portable PC sales will grow by 5.6% this year in mature markets, partly offsetting a decline in 2013.

However, Samsung does not feature in its list of the top five PC sellers, and it appears that rivals have accounted for what growth there is.

Lenovo recently reported a 17% rise in revenue from notebook sales in its April-to-June quarter compared to the same period the previous year. It claimed that made it the most popular laptop brand in 15 European, Middle Eastern and African nations.

Apple also posted a 13% year-on-year rise in Mac sales over the same three months, driven in large part by demand for the MacBook Air.

Samsung’s smartphones have also come under pressure in recent months.

Surveys indicate sales of Samsung’s phones have been overtaken in India and China by local companies Micromax and Xiaomi.

That resulted in the Samsung Electronics division posting a 20% year-on-year drop in its net profit in June and dozens of executives voluntarily handing back part of their bonuses.

However, in recent weeks Samsung’s soon-to-be-released Galaxy Note 4 large-screened smartphone and add-on virtual reality headset have both attracted warm reviews.