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Best Buy says electronics demand could pick up again

Aug 31, 2023
Demand for consumer electronics has fallen since the early days of the pandemic. But Best Buy says electronics demand could stabilize in the near future, or even grow.
The CEO of Best Buy said that this year could be a low point for electronics demand. And that next year, demand could slowly start to pick up.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Why some manufacturers are ordering more computers even with consumer demand weak

Feb 27, 2023
Global PC shipments fell more than 16% in 2022, but manufacturers are ordering more electronics to satisfy demand from businesses.
The transition to remote work for many during the pandemic put more wear and tear on employer-owned computers.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

Computer prices are down, along with demand, data shows

Oct 11, 2022
Shipments of PCs are down nearly 20%, as businesses try to clear existing inventory.
Earlier in the pandemic, there was a spike in demand for PCs.
Octavio Jones/Getty Images

Demand for electronics is falling. But some types of semiconductors are still in short supply.

Oct 7, 2022
Samsung and AMD say demand is weakening for high-end devices like laptops and smartphones. But vehicles still face semiconductor shortages.
While chips for computers are no longer in high demand, supplies are tight for lower-end chips that go into vehicles.
Francois Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images

The chip shortage is hitting just about anything with a plug or battery

May 19, 2021
The list includes refrigerators, video doorbells, light bulbs you can turn on with your phone and even lower-tech things like kids’ toys.
Semiconductor chips go in everything from cars to children's toys.
Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images

Electronics makers caught in the trade war

Nov 15, 2018
For one electronics maker, over half of their components come from China. They're on the tariff list.
Close of the motherboard of a digital decoder at the Technicolor plant on October 24, 2012 in Angers. The Commercial Court of Nanterre ordered last week the liquidation of the plant, the last production unit of the French group in Europe, specializing in the manufacture of digital decoders. 
ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

Electronics giant Xiaomi heads for Hong Kong IPO

Jul 6, 2018
Xiaomi isn’t a household name in the U.S., but with a $54 billion valuation, its initial public offering is one of the biggest the world’s seen in years. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

For public good, not for profit.

The U.S. strikes a deal with Chinese electronics giant ZTE

Jun 7, 2018
But ZTE will be hit with a $1 billion penalty.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Trump’s ZTE turnabout

May 14, 2018
The Chinese electronics manufacturer ZTE Corp. was on the brink of collapse after the U.S. government punished it last month for breaking American sanctions against Iran and North Korea. But in a sudden Twitter twist President Donald Trump says he’s now working to save ZTE.  Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Christmas gifts were all about grown-ups, in post-war America

Dec 16, 2016
Sarah Archer explores Christmas gift giving in post-war America in her book, "Midcentury Christmas."
A holiday advertisement for Westinghouse, 1950s. Reproduced with permission.
CBS Corporation