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Press release Bluetooth drives market for portable consumer electronics September 2, 2015 Jürgen Boyny Tel. +49 911 395 2325
[email protected] Corina Kirchner Corporate Communications Tel. +49 911 395 4570
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GfK findings on market for portable consumer electronics and navigation devices – first six months of 2015 Nuremberg, September 2, 2015 - Bluetooth continues to drive the market for portable consumer electronics in Western Europe. Not only docking speakers with Bluetooth connectivity, but also the markets for headphones and mobile stereo headsets are benefitting from this growth factor. The European market for digital radio devices recorded double-digit growth. These are GfK's findings on the market for portable consumer electronic goods and navigation devices, published to coincide with the IFA 2015 trade fair in Berlin. Consumers worldwide continue to demand the ability to wirelessly transmit audio content from smartphones and other devices via Bluetooth. In 2014, consumers spent a total of €1.6 billion for so-called docking speakers with Bluetooth connectivity. In the Western European market alone, 7.6 million Bluetooth speakers were sold. This corresponds to a sales value of €708 million. In 2015, a further increase in sales value to €890 million is expected. GfK findings show not only that the market for pure Bluetooth speakers is growing strongly, but also that users are demanding speakers that use other streaming protocols such as DLNA or AirPlay. Devices with all streaming functionalities (Bluetooth, AirPlay and UPnP) and which therefore can be integrated into a home network, although still representing a niche, grew in the first six months of 2015 by 51 percent in comparison to the same period last year - and thus even faster than pure Bluetooth speakers, which grew by 40 percent by sales value.
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Bluetooth moves the Western European headphone market Last year, global sales volumes for headphones and mobile stereo headsets amounted to approximately 264 million units. For the current year, an increase of five percent to more than 275 million sales units is expected. Since the average price in this market is likely to rise in the future, there can be expected a worldwide sales value increase of 23 percent to just under €2.5 billion. The forecast for the Western European market is also turning out positive: It is assumed that the sales value will increase by 8 percent to €1.8 billion. Models that support signal transmission via Bluetooth are the primary contributors to this increase. The sales value has more than doubled in the
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first six months of 2015 in comparison to the same period last year, reaching a share of 14 percent within the overall market. A little more than one third of the Bluetooth segment is made up of models that are worn in the ear (Bluetooth In-Ear). The percentage growth in the current reporting period was stronger than its headband alternative (Bluetooth Headband). The largest segment remains that of wired headband products. A slight increase was recorded (1 percent value increase), despite the growing demand in the Bluetooth segment. In the first six months of 2015, wired headband models achieved a 39 percent share of the overall market sales value. In the wired In-Ear market, the demand for ear channel models continues to grow. Overall, this category achieved 4 percent sales value growth in the first six months of 2015. Additionally, features such as active noise cancellation and use in sports activities are becoming increasingly important to customers. Germany is the strongest growth market for digital radio devices The European market for digital radio devices is developing very positively. For the first six months of 2015, in those countries which are relevant to sales (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain), a total of 1.6 million radio devices* with digital radio chips were sold. This represents a growth of 15 percent. Although the market for digital radio devices in Great Britain is currently the largest, the German digital radio market can be described as the most important growth driver: From January to June of 2015, some 430,000 digital radio devices were sold in Germany. The market grew by more than 60 percent in comparison to the previous year. The Netherlands also follows this digital radio trend. In June of 2015, one in twelve newly purchased radio devices was equipped with a digital radio chip. Based on quantity, portable radios are the largest segment in the digital radio market in 2015 with over 60 percent market share, followed by clock radios and audio home systems. The radio boombox segment recorded the strongest growth in the first six months of 2015 in comparison to the same period of the previous year (80 percent increase). *Product groups included: Audio home systems, tuners, receivers, clock radios, portablradios, radio boomboxes, car audio (aftermarket).
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Manufacturers of portable navigation devices are focusing on innovation Although the versatile use of the smartphone kept the global market for portable navigation devices under pressure in 2014, a slight improvement is noticeable. While global sales volumes fell by 21 percent to 22 million units and sales value by 19 percent to €2.7 billion, the overall market in Western Europe appears significantly better in contrast. Sales volume decreased by only 8 percent to 7.3 million units and sales value by only 6 percent to €1.3 billion. Thus, the average price level rose in the markets. This trend is also expected in 2015: this forecast amounts to 6.9 million units sold (6 percent decrease) and €984 million in sales value (5 percent decrease). The price increase described is related to various innovations in the market; for example, six-inch screens are becoming more popular. In the first six months of 2015, this segment recorded a growth in quantity of 52 percent as well as a value based growth of 48 percent in comparison to the previous year. Devices with improved traffic information services are also becoming more popular. The market in question grew by 24 percent in quantity and by 20 percent in value from January to June of 2015, in comparison to the same period of the previous year. There are exciting possibilities for future development of the market for navigation systems. New technologies in the "Connected Car" segment mean new challenges and potentials and at the same time pose opportunities and risks for the navigation devices market. About the methods Through its retail panel, GfK regularly collects data on technical consumer goods in more than 100 countries worldwide. These include portable audio products and in-car electronics, amongst others. For more information: Jürgen Boyny, +49 911 395 2325,
[email protected] GfK activities at the IFA: 1. GfK activities at the IFA, 4-9 September 2015, Berlin: The GfK info point at the IFA press center will provide all information to be published by GfK during the IFA 2. Our experts can be found in the GfK office at the IFA (VIP room 2, Großer Stern) for face-to-face conversations. View GfK’s precise location on the exhibition map at: http://www.gfk.com/documents/ifamap-2015.jpg
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3. The GfK conference “Beyond smart – relevance is key” takes place on 3 September, at 1 pm (3 pm finish) at the IFA, Marshall Haus Messegelände Berlin. The itinerary for this event can be downloaded at: http://www.gfk.com/news-and-events/events-webinars/pages/ifa2015.aspx 4. GfK presentation at the “The Opening Ceremony of China Brand Show” hosted by China Chamber of Commerce for Machinery and Electronic Products Import and Export (CCCME) on 4 September, at 12 noon (2pm finish), Hall 29, IFA Messe Berlin. GfK speaker: Juergen Boyny, Global Director Consumer Electronics, Topics: “Chinese continuous growth in Global Markets of Digital World and Home Appliances.” About GfK GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices. For more information, please visit www.GfK.com or follow GfK on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GfK Responsible under press legislation GfK SE, Corporate Communications Jan Saeger Nordwestring 101 D-90419 Nuremberg Tel. +49 911 395 4440
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