Portable Audio Leads The Chorus Of May Audio Sales

1-Aug-00

The month of May echoed previous months' continuous increase in audio product sales with monthly revenues up eleven percent and year-to-date revenues up twelve percent to $3.1 billion. Leading the charge were portable audio products, which had already reached revenues of $902 million in the first five months of the year. May revenues for the portable audio category were up twenty-two percent, with the year-to-date total for the sector up twenty-five percent. Within the portable audio sector, portable CD equipment revenues were up thirty percent to $156 million in May.Home theatre receivers and CD-R technology have together pulled sales of home audio separates far ahead of last year. During the month of May, revenues from home audio separates were up twenty-one percent to $124 million. Within the separates category, sales of DolbyÆ Digital receivers were up ninety-one percent, and CD-R units generated more revenues than any other home CD category. CD-R units were largely responsible for the fifty-one percent increase in home CD equipment sales.In addition, sales of receivers have had a positive effect on sales of home speakers; as consumers purchased more speakers to enhance their Dolby Digital receivers. In the first five months of 2000, home speaker revenues were up thirteen percent to $181 million. In the first five months of 2000, the total for home separates already had reached $593 million, a fifteen percent increase over 1999.One other sector of audio revenues, aftermarket autosound, increased by five percent during May. In the year-to-date, aftermarket autosound sales have generated $928 million, and are slightly ahead of 1999 revenues. CEA, a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), represents more than 600 U.S. companies involved in the development, manufacturing and distribution of audio, video, mobile electronics, communications, information technology, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services, that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, these companies account for more than $60 billion in annual sales.CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Your Source for Workstyle and Lifestyle Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

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