The Greek consumer technology market continued to show significant growth in the fourth quarter of 2014, with four out of seven sectors showing positive growth. The telecommunications and white goods sectors saw double-digit growth.
Specifically, according to GfK TEMAX (an index developed by GfK to track the markets of technology consumer goods), the market for technology consumer products closed at 567 million euros for the fourth quarter of 2014, up 10.1% compared to the corresponding fourth quarter of 2013. Conversely, the category of photographic items showed a double‑digit decline.
IT Products: Offers and a drop in average price led to a negative sign for technology.
After six consecutive quarters of growth in IT products, the fourth quarter of 2014 saw a marginal decline. Intense competition and ongoing offers led categories such as tablets and laptops to a significant drop in average price compared to last year, leading them to lower levels of value, despite their positive sign in pieces. Finally, peripheral categories such as mice, keyboards, and monitors continue to record an increase in value.
Office equipment and consumables: For the seventh consecutive quarter, office equipment items have maintained a positive trend.
Despite the fact that the impact of the return to desks was clearly smaller compared to last year when the start of the school/academic year lasted until mid-October, the market recorded a rise in values. The positive trend of the category was helped both by printing devices and by multifunction devices. At the level of average selling price, it remains noteworthy that multifunction devices are showing an increase, in contrast to printers which saw a significant price decrease.
Large household appliances: Significant increase in the last quarter of 2014
The category of large white appliances continues its upward trend in the last quarter of the year. Washing machines and kitchens are the items with the greatest increase. Dryers, taking advantage of atmospheric air pollution due to household heating, record the biggest rise, with the average price remaining at the same level as the corresponding period last year.
Finally, it is noted that, after a very long period of continuous decline in the average price, the last quarter recorded the smallest losses, which are mainly due to promotions from the categories of built‑in devices.
Small household appliances: Slight decline in the last quarter of the year
The positive growth of the previous quarters in the category of small household appliances did not continue in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, categories such as electric toothbrushes and hair care products with hair dryers and styling tools continue to develop positively, offering consumers the choice and the possibility of personal care at’ home. Electric irons, as well as toasters, appear with an upward trend, a fact contributed to by the slight rise in the average price.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the consumer public was also positively active in the purchase of coffee and beverage machines in the last quarter. The various promotional actions with coupons or the offer of gift packages during the holiday season contributed to the drop in the average price of the category and did not allow it to record a corresponding growth in value.
Photographic equipment: The rate of decline for the sector intensifies
With the decline rate reaching 15.3%, the last quarter of the year was also completed for digital cameras. Despite the overall negative picture, interchangeable‑lens cameras maintained their positive trend at year‑end, recording a rise in values over the last three months.
Telecommunications: Telecommunications devices are firmly established as the number one consumer preference
Telecommunications exceeded a total of 170 million euros, recording a 29% increase. Smart mobile phones were the driver of developments with their average price remaining at high levels. Significant contribution to the market's trajectory was, of course, provided by both fixed-line phones and handset accessories. In both cases, the average price levels showed a slight increase compared to last year's quarter.
Consumer electronics: The fourth quarter of 2014 also ended on a positive note
With television and consoles, categories that formed the basis for revenue growth, maintaining the positive trend, the market showed an 8.7% rise in the fourth quarter. In addition to the two previously mentioned categories, video cameras also showed an upward trend, as did storage devices (USB and memory cards).
Video cameras, benefiting from the momentum that action cameras have built up, and storage devices from the increased sales, due to seasonality in tablets and mobile phones.
Source: kathimerini.gr
