Zune grabs No. 2 spot at retail during first week
An initial surge in demand has given fans of Microsoft's Zune something to cheer about, as the player captured the No. 2 spot for all digital media player sales at retail during its first week on the market.
According to NPD Group’s weekly point-of-sale data for the week ending November 18, the iPod rival secured a nine percent unit share, representing 13 percent of the dollars spent in the U.S. portable digital player market.
Zune was bested only by Apple Computer's iPod, which retained its dominant share during the week by grabbing 63 percent unit share and 72.5 percent dollar share.
"Microsoft attracted early adopters in*a successful launch week for Zune, eking out Sandisk as the No. 2 digital audio player vendor," said Ross Rubin, NPD's director of industry analysis. "This was especially impressive given the Zune's single capacity configuration and relatively high price point."
NPD says its weekly POS data is culled from a selective set of retailers that are part of its monthly panel, meaning it does not take into effect digital media player sales at Apple's own retail stores, among others.
It should also be noted that sell-through figures compiled during a product's initial week on the market are not necessarily indicative of that product's overall share, and are often influenced by pent-up demand.
Still, NPD's data could represent the potential for Zune's long term share gains. The group's findings eerily resemble a similar retail survey conducted by PiperJaffray, which found that retail clerks were recommending Zune to customers 8 percent of the time compared to the iPod at 75 percent of the time.
However, PiperJaffray in its polls also found that some retail salespeople were completely oblivious to the Microsoft player.
According to NPD Group’s weekly point-of-sale data for the week ending November 18, the iPod rival secured a nine percent unit share, representing 13 percent of the dollars spent in the U.S. portable digital player market.
Zune was bested only by Apple Computer's iPod, which retained its dominant share during the week by grabbing 63 percent unit share and 72.5 percent dollar share.
"Microsoft attracted early adopters in*a successful launch week for Zune, eking out Sandisk as the No. 2 digital audio player vendor," said Ross Rubin, NPD's director of industry analysis. "This was especially impressive given the Zune's single capacity configuration and relatively high price point."
NPD says its weekly POS data is culled from a selective set of retailers that are part of its monthly panel, meaning it does not take into effect digital media player sales at Apple's own retail stores, among others.
It should also be noted that sell-through figures compiled during a product's initial week on the market are not necessarily indicative of that product's overall share, and are often influenced by pent-up demand.
Still, NPD's data could represent the potential for Zune's long term share gains. The group's findings eerily resemble a similar retail survey conducted by PiperJaffray, which found that retail clerks were recommending Zune to customers 8 percent of the time compared to the iPod at 75 percent of the time.
However, PiperJaffray in its polls also found that some retail salespeople were completely oblivious to the Microsoft player.
Comments
Based on the above statement, the report is purely garbage.
This is up from 76th about 2 days ago.
Zune is now ranked 64th in Electronics at Amazon.com
This is up from 76th about 2 days ago.
I feek that Amazon's sales listings are much more indicitve of the populous than a "selective set of retailers."
Microsoft's Zune captured the No. 2 spot
but doesn't the brown stuff ALWAYS have our number 2 spot captured ??
"mummy mummy i have to go to the toilet, number 2 "
The fact that they excluded Apple Retail from sales calculations is just silly. I'll bet half of all iPod sales are from Apple's own retail stores.
Competition from Zune will benefit the consumer, but not if it is totally made up.
Given the buzz that the Zune has generated (or, more likely, that MicroShaft bought), it is off to a real slow start. Since iPods haven't changed in a few months, it should have been able to surpass at least a few iPod models during the opening debut.
Soon we will see that the Zune doesn't have legs, and it will be the Bob of the 2000's.
*I took tickets at my local cinema. That's still "in the business", dammit!
Zune is now ranked 64th in Electronics at Amazon.com
This is up from 76th about 2 days ago.
Right now, the black Zune fell back to 67, behind all models of the iPod. Neither the brown nor the white made the top 100.
The interesting thing to note is that in top 66, there are two TURNTABLES! TURNTABLES, for shit's sake, TURNTABLES!! Not one, but two are more popular than the "hottest" Zune!
but doesn't the brown stuff ALWAYS have our number 2 spot captured ??
"mummy mummy i have to go to the toilet, number 2 "
The Zune is brown!!!1! Like poo!!11
I feek that Amazon's sales listings are much more indicitve of the populous than a "selective set of retailers."
If they were, Apple would enjoy a 60% marketshare for its computers.
As it doesn't, Amazons sales prove only that people shopping at Amazon buy in those percentages.
The Zune is brown!!!1! Like poo!!11
You still on that?
I thought this was Appleinsider, not SELL-OUT ZUNEsider... enough of the ZUNE comments. NOBODY CARES, particularly me... the statistics are pointless... the Zune is worthless... stop wasting web space talking about the zune.
We do care, and we're interested.
I would buy one, rip open the package, return it and move on to the next store.
Your welcome MS for my returns so you can refurb them
Apple Wins.
Next Thread.
NPD says its weekly POS data is culled from a selective set of retailers that are part of its monthly panel, meaning it does not take into effect digital media player sales at Apple's own retail stores, among others.
It would br nice to see what retailers are on the "Monthly Panel" and to see which ones that were among the others that were excluded.
The more I think about this, the more I get the feeling it's part of a marketing campaign. Without full disclosure, what's to stop NPD from taking the top 10 Zune performing retailers and making that the panel.
Yep without full disclosure of the retailers that were included, and the ones excluded, then this is just pure conjecture and BS!
I thought this was Appleinsider, not SELL-OUT ZUNEsider... enough of the ZUNE comments. NOBODY CARES, particularly me... the statistics are pointless... the Zune is worthless... stop wasting web space talking about the zune.
I've heard Apple Store employees talking about the Zune for crying out loud. If it's happening there, I'd say it's perfectly fine here - you do have to be knowledgeable about the competition regardless of how insignificant you want to think it is. Else your ass will get bitten sooner or later.
hehe I bought 11 of them at various places. Mostly Wal-Mart and Best Buy around my home town.
I would buy one, rip open the package, return it and move on to the next store.
Your welcome MS for my returns so you can refurb them
so your the one who propelled the Zune to 2nd place