Apple accounts for 20% of all 2012 US consumer technology sales revenue
Apple was the third-largest consumer technology retailer in the U.S. in 2012, while its products accounted for the largest share of revenue among consumer tech companies.
New data released by The NPD Group on Tuesday revealed that Apple accounted for 19.9 percent of all domestic consumer technology sales, based on revenue, from last year. That number was up from the 17.3 percent share Apple took in 2011.
Apple's revenue easily beat out rival Samsung, which came in second with 9.3 percent, up from 7 percent in 2011. The rest of the top five saw their share of revenue fall in 2012: HP dipped from 8.9 percent in 2011 to 8.2 percent last year, while Sony and Dell both slid to 4.4 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
Together, Apple and Samsung accounted for $6.5 billion in increased sales in 2012. Meanwhile, the rest of the consumer technology industry saw sales decline by almost $9.5 billion in the U.S.
As a result, despite the gains seen by Apple and Samsung, retail sales in U.S. consumer technology declined 2 percent to $143 billion in 2012, according to NPD. Sales were also off less than 1 percent in 2011.
"While sales fell in consumer technology for the second consecutive year, there was an uptick in Q4 which is cause for optimism," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "After struggles with declining categories, and increasingly saturated markets over the last few years, fourth quarter?s results may be the first sign that even as a mature industry consumer technology can grow again, albeit with a very different dynamic than in previous growth spurts."
Apple also ranked third among consumer technology retailers, behind only Best Buy and Walmart. The Mac maker finished ahead of Amazon and Staples, which took fourth and fifth.
The top five categories for consumer electronics in the U.S. were notebooks, flat-panel TVs, smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Together, they accounted for 53 percent of sales in 2012, up from 49 percent in 2011.
The only two categories in the top five to see year-over-year growth were tablets and smartphones, markets where Apple competes with the iPad and iPhone.
The one market among the top five where Apple does not have a presence is flat-panel television sets, though there have been indications for years that the company may be interested in entering that market. NPD said that in 2012, HDTVs were "mired in a cycle of declining prices and weak volume."
While smartphone sales were up 25 percent and tablets surged 42 percent, flat-panel TVs saw sales decline by 7 percent. Notebook computers were also off 9 percent at U.S. retailers in 2012, while desktops slid 11 percent.
"The fact is that the stellar growth of the past few years has made growth today more difficult," Baker said. "Most market segments have high penetration rates and the demand for additional devices is slowing, or declining. Tablets and smartphones have been able to stimulate demand for additional devices, but unfortunately it hasn?t been enough, yet, to sustain positive growth trends."
New data released by The NPD Group on Tuesday revealed that Apple accounted for 19.9 percent of all domestic consumer technology sales, based on revenue, from last year. That number was up from the 17.3 percent share Apple took in 2011.
Apple's revenue easily beat out rival Samsung, which came in second with 9.3 percent, up from 7 percent in 2011. The rest of the top five saw their share of revenue fall in 2012: HP dipped from 8.9 percent in 2011 to 8.2 percent last year, while Sony and Dell both slid to 4.4 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
Together, Apple and Samsung accounted for $6.5 billion in increased sales in 2012. Meanwhile, the rest of the consumer technology industry saw sales decline by almost $9.5 billion in the U.S.
As a result, despite the gains seen by Apple and Samsung, retail sales in U.S. consumer technology declined 2 percent to $143 billion in 2012, according to NPD. Sales were also off less than 1 percent in 2011.
"While sales fell in consumer technology for the second consecutive year, there was an uptick in Q4 which is cause for optimism," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "After struggles with declining categories, and increasingly saturated markets over the last few years, fourth quarter?s results may be the first sign that even as a mature industry consumer technology can grow again, albeit with a very different dynamic than in previous growth spurts."
Apple also ranked third among consumer technology retailers, behind only Best Buy and Walmart. The Mac maker finished ahead of Amazon and Staples, which took fourth and fifth.
The top five categories for consumer electronics in the U.S. were notebooks, flat-panel TVs, smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Together, they accounted for 53 percent of sales in 2012, up from 49 percent in 2011.
The only two categories in the top five to see year-over-year growth were tablets and smartphones, markets where Apple competes with the iPad and iPhone.
The one market among the top five where Apple does not have a presence is flat-panel television sets, though there have been indications for years that the company may be interested in entering that market. NPD said that in 2012, HDTVs were "mired in a cycle of declining prices and weak volume."
While smartphone sales were up 25 percent and tablets surged 42 percent, flat-panel TVs saw sales decline by 7 percent. Notebook computers were also off 9 percent at U.S. retailers in 2012, while desktops slid 11 percent.
"The fact is that the stellar growth of the past few years has made growth today more difficult," Baker said. "Most market segments have high penetration rates and the demand for additional devices is slowing, or declining. Tablets and smartphones have been able to stimulate demand for additional devices, but unfortunately it hasn?t been enough, yet, to sustain positive growth trends."
Comments
So who was #1 and #2?
Obviously this means they are done. SELL, SELL, SELL!!!!/s
clearly AAPL is doomed.
I would say it's great news and very impressive.
BestBuy #1. Walmart #2.
Apple is #1 OEM. Apple Retail Stores #3 retail outlet. This relates to consumer electronics.
But given Samsung grew by 33% and Apple by only 15%, I am sure this news will be seen as Apple failing by WS.
Clearly; look at the tablets growth!
I think 2nd place for Samsung with 9% compared to Apples' 19% is quite a gap. It's not like everything Apple makes is twice as expensive. And Samsung sells amps and all that.
Anecdotal, I know. But I go out of my way to only buy electronics that Apple makes. If Apple doesn't make it, I will do w/o!
I just have a hard time with other manufactures shoddy design and clunky interfaces.
I was an early adopter with the orig. iPhone...which allowed me to sell my Exlim camera. Also, I gave away all my iPods to my nieces b/c of the iPhone. Got rid of my land line, and Fax machine (so '90's).
iP3Gs allowed me to not buy a stand alone GPS unit. (Used TomTom App-$30) Don't have a radio-use iPhone. Don't have head phones, use the earbuds from iPhone.
iPad2 allowed me to sell my MacBook.
Gone 4-5 years w/o a TV/DVD player. (which I do miss, a lot!) Hurry up Apple, I'm waiting for a TV!
Looking at a DSLR but again the interfaces seem so clunky so I will probably pass.
Of course, I have a wireless Brother MFC printer. Which I'm using less and less of. It's actually sitting plugged in, in a closet!
Considering the Nest thermostat....only b/c it's very Apple-like.
Will never buy a Ford car b/c it is infected with MS Sync, (now there's an oxymoron, i.e., "MS Sync")
Best
Really? You're missing out on some excellent TV shows.
While you may have gone to the extreme, you make an important point. The iPhone and iPad (and competitors' products as well) are reducing the number of devices we need. I don't have any figures, but it wouldn't surprise me if GPS sales have plummeted (both from mobile devices and their lower price when included in a car). iPod sales are dropping off. There's some sign that iPads/iPhones are impacting the gaming market.
Combined with that are the longevity issues. A decade or two ago, there was an unending demand for faster computers - so even a new computer probably only had a 3-5 year life. Today, even an entry level computer is faster than most people need - and will probably continue to exceed their needs for many years - so the replacement market for computers has declined. Similarly, for TVs, replacing tube sets with flat screens is easy to justify. Before that, replacing low def TVs with high def was easy. Replacement of B/W with color was easy. But today, what's the driving force? Existing TVs and media players are so good that any improvements are tiny - not enough to justify the cost (3D being the sole exception, but that has major limitations - including the fact that a significant percentage of the population can't see 3D effects).
Those markets are still growing very rapidly, but sales of existing products are declining (see the chart attached to this article).
I don't the purchase of a DSLR should be based on the quality of the interface. Heck, I hardly look at the interface: I set it to Manual and turn the right knobs while looking through the viewfinder. It's a tool, and a great picture is made by you, not the camera. Great photographers never blame their tools, and can create at from a cellphone camera, a 4x5, a DSLR or even a point-and-shoot.
I would hope so. As far as I'm concerned I could care less if Garmin goes out of business. Their hardware and software is of such despicable quality it makes one wonder if they only recruit ex-Microsoft employees.
Ok, that was more of a rant. Fully agree on your post; we use the iPhone for more things because Apple adds hardware components to it and devices last longer. Now, where's that Flip camera?
"Apple now has the largest share of consumer technology sales" should be the headline, or something like it.
The lede should read, "Apple now accounts for one-fifth of all U.S. consumer tech sales, twice as much as the second-place manufacturer Samsung, based largely on the growth of two new markets, tablets and smartphones."
Maybe in the second paragraph you might say, "Apple is also the third largest CE tech retailer, behind Best Buy and Walmart and ahead of Amazon . . . etc.
Soon maybe even Wall Street will recognize that Apple is now the main driving force in the leading edge of CE technology, and that it should be promoted as such, and not be hounded by parasitic short-selling, or whatever you call their cynical profiting by anti-Apple bad news mongering.
P.S.: I think Apple's next three moves are going to change the meme climate back in their favor. There's a display revolution in the works, something around TV, and something more portable, wearable or personal that causes Jony Ive to say they're working on the best stuff of his career so far.
Samsung has temporarily perverted the memesphere by introducing their glitzy mega phones. Shallow thinkers are easily fixated by the tech equivalent of bling. Wall Street and tech journalists are shallow thinkers by profession. Thankfully there's a reservoir of deeper thinkers who get the Apple story, some of them here on this very news site.
And yet, Google, that sells nothing, is over $800 and going. Pure madness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flaneur
"Apple now has the largest share of consumer technology sales" should be the headline, or something like it.
The story isn't about sales share, although sales are of course a factor.
It's about share of total revenue, which is based on sales and prices together.
Similar to the way that Samsung outsells Apple in smartphones, but Apple has more revenue.
Quote:
Soon maybe even Wall Street will recognize that Apple is now the main driving force in the leading edge of CE technology, and that it should be promoted as such, and not be hounded by parasitic short-selling, or whatever you call their cynical profiting by anti-Apple bad news mongering.
Apple only sells in a few major CE categories. The revenue here includes such things as game hardware, TVs, radios, etc... markets Apple isn't in so far.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dasanman69
Really? You're missing out on some excellent TV shows.
I know...I really miss watching Formula One and the Tennis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
... it wouldn't surprise me if GPS sales have plummeted (both from mobile devices and their lower price when included in a car). iPod sales are dropping off. .
Garmin is still doing OK, but they're fairly diversified. TomTom on the other hand not so much.
I should have added point and shoot cameras and low end video cameras to my list. A lot of people don't even carry their digital cameras any more because cell phones are good enough for many purposes.
So, your new smartphone might replace:
iPod
GPS device
digital camera
video camera
portable game console
Anything else?