Home Theatre Component Sales Explode During April

5-Jul-01

Manufacturer-to-dealer sales of home theatre components were up across the board in April, despite declines in total audio sales for the month, according to figures released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).Most notably, sales of five-channel surround speaker packages grew by an incredible 698 percent to $2.9 million and six-channel speaker packages were up by 105 percent to $6.6 million during April, compared to April 2000. Overall speaker sales were up for the month with a total increase of 22 percent to $36.8 million in revenue, due to solid growth in sales of THXÆ receivers, center channel surround speakers, floor speakers and active subwoofers. THX receiver sales increased by 28 percent to $3.6 million, up from $2.8 million in April 2000. Also contributing to a successful month in speaker sales were center channel surround speakers, posting 28 percent growth to $1.8 million. Floor speaker sales also were up by 25 percent to $8.1 million, as were active subwoofers with an increase of 18 percent to $5.7 million.Factory-to-dealer sales of portable CD players rose in April, increasing by 16 percent for the month, to $65.6 million, up from $56.6 during April 2000.Additionally, year-to-date sales increased for overall portable audio (up two percent for the year) and CD-Rs (up 52 percent for the year) despite slight declines in sales for the month. îThe tremendous growth in sales of home theatre components is proof that consumers are embracing the transition to a multichannel audio and digital audio experience,î said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA. îThe long term outlook for the audio category is very positive. As more products that incorporate digital technology and enhance the listenerís experience hit the marketplace, we can continue to expect growth in both consumer interest and sales.îFor more information about the CEA, visit www.ce.org.

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