Digital Camera Sales To Top 30 Million Units

By Greg Scoblete -- TWICE, 12/22/2006

New York — Rumors of the digital camera market’s decline have apparently been greatly exaggerated.

Digital camera unit sales may eclipse a record 30 million in the U.S., according to the market research firm NPD. The market will post over 20 percent growth from last year’s 25.2 million, the firm said.

While analysts continue to predict a market leveling, the date has revised in the face of persistently strong consumer demand.

Kodak leads through October, followed by Canon, Sony, Nikon and Olympus. The top five vendors own roughly sixty percent of the market, NPD said.

On the printing front, the Photo Marketing Association reported a 60 percent increase in digital camera printing through the year ending September. Online ordering continues to grow the fastest, notching gains of 150 percent through 12 months ending September versus the prior 12 months.

Retail printing (including prints ordered online and picked up in-store) has eclipsed home printing with 45 percent of the market to home’s 42 percent. Online orders that are mailed back to the home account for 11 percent of all printing activity.