New Consumer Goods research report from Business Monitor International is now available from Fast Market Research

Boston, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/05/2014 --The US consumer electronics market is mature, with high penetration rates in a number of device categories, but opportunities remain. Growth areas include large-size HD TV sets, smartphones, Microsoft Windows 8 tablets and convertibles/hybrids, Ultrabooks, and smart TV sets. Questions still remain about the sustainability of consumption in the absence of strong wage growth.

Headline Expenditure Projections

Computer Hardware Sales: US$125.4bn in 2013 to US$130.4bn in 2014, +4.0% in US dollar terms. Forecasts reflect that shipments of desktops and notebooks remain low and consumers shift spending to lower-cost tablets.

AV Sales: US$74.6bn in 2013 to US$79.9bn in 2014, +7% in US dollar terms. There is evidence that US consumers are willing to pay more for features such as 3D, 4k and large-screens; however, sales of midrange flat-screens remain under pressure amid economic uncertainty.

View Full Report Details and Table of Contents

Handset Sales: US$34.7bn in 2013 to US$37bn in 2014, +6.6% in US dollar terms. Forecast unchanged, with Android devices providing a stiff challenge to Apple in 2013. The introduction of Apple's iphone 5 devices contributed to sales of 33.8mn units in Q413, a record for the company.

Key Trends & Developments

- Texas and California are the hubs of the US electronics industry and generate more than 25% of total national exports in this category. Exports from these two states make up a high portion of total US exports of computers and electronics to Mexico, but Asian companies have made inroads in supplying Mexican electronics assembly plants.
- As vendors face the reality of declining desktop and notebook sales, there is a renewed focus on retail. In 2013, Microsoft announced that it was partnering with Best Buy to set up a store-within-a-store in 500 locations in the US and 100 in Canada. Microsoft will work with Best Buy to train an additional 1,200 sales associates, as well as supply dedicated Microsoft specialists to the stores. The Microsoft stores will be in direct competition with Apple, which also has stores within some branches of Best Buy. Microsoft's strategy is for the stores to be a location for consumers to try, compare and purchase tablets, PCs, Windows Phones, Office Software and Xbox. The company also announced in Q313 an iphone buyback scheme operating out of its retail stores.

About Fast Market Research
Fast Market Research is a leading distributor of market research and business information. Representing the world's top research publishers and analysts, we provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available. Our unbiased, expert staff is always available to help you find the right research to fit your requirements and your budget. For more information about these or related research reports, please visit our website at http://www.fastmr.com or call us at 1.800.844.8156.

Browse all Consumer Goods research reports at Fast Market Research

You may also be interested in these related reports:

- The US Oral Hygiene Market: What Consumers Use and Why?
- Consumer Electronics in the United States
- The US Skincare Market: What Consumers Use and Why?
- The US Haircare Market: What Consumers Use and Why?
- The US Feminine Care Market: What Consumers Use and Why?
- The Future of the Male Toiletries Market in the United States to 2017: Market Size, Distribution and Brand Share, Key Events and Competitive Landscape
- The Future of the Personal Hygiene Market in the United States to 2017: Market Size, Distribution and Brand Share, Key Events and Competitive Landscape
- The Future of the Oral Hygiene Market in the United States to 2017
- The US Men's Toiletries Market: What Consumers Use and Why?
- Thailand Consumer Electronics Report Q2 2014