Sony Tops In Retail Brand Penetration

MAPLEWOOD, N.J.— Sony, Panasonic, JVC, RCA and Sharp, in that order, are consumer electronics brands with the highest rate of brand penetration at top retailers nationwide, according to a new study by Neretin Associates, here.

The report, "Consumer Electronics Brand Penetration at Local, Regional and National Levels," is based on a survey of 174 top CE retailers (controlling more than 90 percent of the U.S. market) during the final three weeks of December 2002. The results indicate which brands, across a wide array of product categories, are carried most by electronics merchants.

Sony topped the list with 66.1 percent retail penetration, followed by Panasonic (59.8 percent), JVC (56.3), RCA (55.7) and Sharp (45.4). Rounding out the top ten are, in order, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Pioneer (including Elite), Hitachi and Zenith. (See chart for exact share figures for the top 25 brands.)

The data (brand mentions irrespective of product category) pinpointed a total of 58 brands with a penetration of 6 percent or more and identified a total of almost 500 brands on retail floors, or available to retailers as required, the company said. Aaron Neretin, president, noted that "the figures would have been considerably higher for most brands if the research involved ... specific categories rather than a broad array of CE products."

For more information on the report, and other consumer electronics industry studies, contact Neretin Associates at researchup@aol.com.