fell 11% in the first quarter, the worst drop since the coronavirus outbreak, after inflation fears, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Omicron variant derailed an unsteady recovery for the sector.
“Markets saw a spike in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant,” said Canalys Vice President Nicole Peng. “Vendors face major uncertainty due to the Russia-Ukraine war, China’s rolling lockdowns and the threat of inflation. All this added to traditionally slow seasonal demand.”