(Yicai Global) April 13 -- Lenovo Group managed to increase its market share of the personal computer sector in the first quarter, remaining the top seller worldwide despite falling sales figures industry-wide, according to research from Canalys.

Global sales fell 8 percent in the first three months, Canalys said in a report yesterday. Lenovo shipped 12.83 million units, a 4.4 percent decline, but increased its market share by 0.9 percentage point to 23.9 percent. It had become the market leader after an 8 percent full-year gain in shipments at the end of 2019.

The first-quarter slump across the sector was the result of company and factory shutdowns amid the Covid-19 pandemic rather than weak demand, Canalys Research Manager Rushabh Doshi said, adding that manufacturers are unable to keep up with current demand.

Hewlett-Packard shipped 11.7 million units in the first quarter, down 13.8 percent and taking its market share down 1.5 points to 21.8 percent from a year earlier, still ranking second. Dell shipped 10.5 million units, up 1.1 percent and boosting its market share by 1.8 points to 19.6 percent. Apple came in fourth after sales fell 21 percent to 3.2 million units, the biggest decline among the top five, pushing its market share down to 6 percent from 7 percent.

Vendors will gradually restore their capacity in the second quarter but the increase in demand from the first quarter will likely not continue, added Ishan Dutt, an analyst with Canalys. He expects a large slump in demand from April through June.

Editor: James Boynton