Sales of gaming products have soared to unprecedented levels over the past year according to leading technology and electricals retailer Argos, with Brits being inspired by the Fortnite phenomenon.
Over the past 12 months, sales of headsets, gaming chairs and controllers have rocketed (by 65 per cent, 25 per cent and 20 per cent year-on-year respectively) as gamers jump on the Fortnite bandwagon. Traditional gaming headsets from brands like Turtle Beach, Astro, A4T, PDP and BDA have been especially popular with gamers wanting to enhance their Fortnite experience.
Gaming laptops have also soared by 62 per cent since the beginning of the year, as customers invest in high performance devices to get the ultimate game play experience.
Argos’s first ever ‘Year in Tech’ revealed the increases, which today unveils the tech trends that have swept the nation over the past twelve months. The retailer analysed a year’s worth of sales data to uncover the trends that have influenced UK shoppers’ buying behaviour.
In the battle of the consoles, XBox has shown the fastest rate of growth with Argos sales of the XBox One X rising by 22 per cent this year, against an 11 per cent rise for PS4s, which remains the overall market leader, and a nine per cent rise for Switch consoles.
Argos experts also link the boost in sales of all consoles to the Fortnite phenomenon and suggest that Xbox’s dominance could be down to Microsoft boasting the most recent console launch. The One X hit shelves back in November and it continues to be popular as it offers a true 4K gaming experience across a big range of best-selling titles.
Nick Hill, Head of Video Gaming Buying at Argos, said: “It’s incredible to see how much Fortnite has influenced our customers and inspired a new generation of gamers. Demand for gaming laptops, controllers, gaming chairs and headsets has soared as customers look for ways to further enhance their gaming experience.
“Based on previous gaming phenomena like Pokemon Go two years ago, we predict that Fortnite fever will peak this Christmas as more of our customers spend their free time immersing themselves in the game. The Nintendo Switch continues to be a big seller for us, with sales up nine per cent year-on-year, as it allows customers to play games like Fortnite on-the-go or plug it into a TV at home.”
A ‘Year in Tech’
‘A Year in Tech’, from Argos, part of the Sainsbury’s Group, today reveals how the nation has shopped for tech over a twelve-month period. From the explosion in demand for smart speakers and drones, to the drop in popularity of tablets and e-readers, ‘A Year in Tech’ reveals what’s hot and what’s not in the world of technology.
The data has shown that gen X (45-54 year olds) buys the most tech (23 per cent), closely followed by baby boomers (over 55s) and midults (35-44 year olds at 22 per cent) with millennials spending the least on tech (14 per cent for 18–24 year-olds and 19 per cent for 25-34 year olds).
The research has also found that women buy the most tech across all Argos categories (53 per cent vs. 47 per cent of men) except when it comes to drones (45 per cent women vs. 55 per cent for men) and smart home tech (41 per cent women vs. 59 per cent men).
