Acer peddles cycling devices
Acer Inc, a Taiwan-based computer manufacturer, has branched out in a unique bid to the burgeoning cycling industry to seek a new growth engine and offset sagging personal computer sales.
Expanding to the lucrative cycling computer field is part of the group’s policy to increase its people-centric offerings.
Acer will remain focused on its fastestgrowing segments: gaming and two-inone computers.
A two-in-one computer is a category of portable computers, containing devices that combine elements of tablets and laptops.
Nitipat Praweenwongwuthi, associate director for marketing at Acer Computer (Thailand), the local operating unit of Acer Inc, said the company will release a cycling computer in the Thai market by October that enthusiasts can use to record their journey.
Last year Acer acquired a Taipei-based GPS cycling computer brand, Xplova, to expand its reach in the sports industry. Acer is integrating Xplova’s technology with its hardware, software and services.
Mr Nitipat said Thailand’s computer market has reached the mature stage. However, the market is expected to grow by a low single-digit percentage in 2016 thanks to the improved economy.
He said computer users in Thailand are increasingly moving towards buying higher-priced notebooks featuring highperformance technology.
The local premium notebook market priced over 30,000 baht apiece witnessed the highest growth, with sales rising by 5% on average the last two years because of increasing demand from the gaming and two-in-one computer segments.
To capitalise on the high-growth premium segment, Acer recently introduced a two-in-one notebook, the Switch Alpha 12, priced from 25,000 baht per unit depending on specifications. The 12-inch screen features Intel Core i processors.
Mr Nitipat said the price of two-in-one notebooks has dropped by 30% from last year, fuelling demand in the high-performance computer market.
Sales of gaming and two-in-one computers accounted for 15% of Acer’s sales revenue. Some 75% comes from sales of commodity computers, meaning standardissue PCs, with 10% from accessories.
“We expect our sales revenue for the local operating unit to grow by double digits this year, maintaining our leading market position with a 30% share,” he said.
Mr Nitipat said Acer is spending heavily on digital marketing and media to reach younger consumers. Acer plans to rebrand itself soon to appeal to that demographic after four decades in the market.