GfK Asia Picks Out Consumer Electronics Trends

GfK Asia has released its pan-Asian Consumer Electronics Data Summary for 2005. The study, based on an analysis of products sold in 21,000 stores, highlights a huge growth in LCD TV sales and DVD recorders, and a decline in sales of video camcorders.

The report includes data from 11 countries (China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia), and covers the following products: conventional, LCD, plasma and rear projection TVs; DVD and VCD recorder/players; home audio systems; and personal music players and camcorders.

In the TV market, the most significant growth was in the LCD TV market, with shops selling twice as many LCD TVs as plasma models. Particularly large increases in LCD market volume and value occurred in Indonesia (535% volume / 577% value), China (456%/458%), Korea (417%/431%), and Malaysia (352%/376%), followed by Vietnam (260%/281%), Australia (252%/221%), and New Zealand (249%/174%).

The DVD recorder market grew significantly in all countries surveyed, with an average increase of 141% in volume, and a 78% increase in value. Normally a slow adopter, Australia saw a 188% volume increase, and a 104% increase in value.

The Vietnamese home theatre market showed an increase of 191% in volume and 119% in value. Results in other countries varied with some seeing a slight decrease in volume.

Video camcorder sales saw negative or very limited growth throughout the region. The study also highlights a decline in personal headphone stereos in all 11 countries, while the MP3 market grew across the region. MP3 products with hard disk drive or flash saw an average volume growth of 200%.

GfK Asia's analysts track a broad range of consumer technology markets, collecting monthly data on 300,000 models from 6,000 specialist shops as well as 170 retail chains with approximately 15,000 outlets.

The company, which is based in Singapore and has offices in India and Japan, is part of GfK Marketing Services - online at www.gfkms.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.