Sales of personal computers in July fell 32.2 percent from a year earlier, the second-biggest decline on record, the Nippon Electronic Big-Stores Association said Monday.

The steep drop came despite price-cutting promotions by manufacturers, the association said.

The biggest year-on-year decline on record came in October, when sales plunged 36.4 percent, according to the association, which started compiling sales data on PCs in August 1983.

July's plunge is the 18th monthly year-on-year decline in a row.

Computer manufacturers such as Sony Corp. and NEC Corp. raised prices in the spring, but then lowered them in July after finding the hikes had dented their sales.

"PC sales declined partly because PCs have spread widely now, and partly because consumers saw no differences in functions to account for the price hikes made in spring," an official at the association said.

"Unless there are additional functions, PC sales are likely to remain slack until the end of this year," he said.

July PC sales totaled 24.21 billion yen, accounting for 9.95 percent of total electrical appliance sales, which came in at 243.41 billion yen, marking a 12.3 percent fall from a year earlier and a 16th straight month of decline.

The data in question cover sales at 38 of the association's 41 retailers of electrical appliances across the country.

Sales of washing machines during the month rose 16.4 percent, helped by brisk demand for machines featuring dryer functions.

Sales of television sets jumped 6.2 percent, boosted by increasing demand for units incorporating plasma display panels and liquid crystal panels, the association said.

Sales of air conditioners dropped 23.3 percent, while sales of videocassette recorders plunged 21.3 percent and sales of audio equipment declined 17.9 percent.

Sales of computer peripherals fell 15.6 percent, the association said.