Samsung will stop selling laptops in Europe due to "market demands", according to a statement from the company obtained by PC Advisor . As the Samsung spokesman said: "We quickly adapt to market needs and demands. In Europe, we will be discontinuing sales of laptops including Chromebooks for now. This is specific to the region – and is not necessarily reflective of conditions in other markets."

The move follows several years' worth of declining PC sales globally and Sony's sale of its own laptop business. Yet it also comes after Samsung announced a new Ativ Book laptop running Windows at CES 2014 and a Chromebook 2 later in the year, and in spite of the fact that Western Europe has been one of the better performing markets for laptop sales worldwide over the past decade. Market research firm Gartner also noted that PC sales had recently stabilized and had projected huge growth in Chromebook sales in the coming years, so the timing of Samsung's exit from Europe may be premature. Still, the company's statement leaves room for it to resume laptop sales in the region should market conditions change.