DVD players again topped the video charts in April, with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reporting that manufacturer-to-dealer sales were 1.09 million units, a 72.8 percent gain versus April 2001.
In addition, VCR unit sales to dealers were 552,041 units, a 2.5 percent decline compared to the same month last year.
CEA senior industry analyst Sean Wargo said that DVD sales from February through April confirmed the organization’s view that “the January sales slide was a temporary inventory correction following high holiday demand for DVD players.”
September 2001 saw DVD sales surpass those of VCRs for the first time, continuing through December 2001. In January VCRs regained the lead by a hair, which CEA attributed to retailers’ inventory adjustments following a late buying spree during the 2001 holiday season. DVD regained its sales superiority in February.
CEA also reported that March 2002 dollar sales of digital televisions (DTV) increased 65.4 percent and totaled $258 million. (See related story on p. 12.) Indicating a steady preference for DTV, analog television sales in March totaled 689,328, but represented a 10.7 percent decrease compared to the same period during 2001.
Total first quarter 2002 television sales increased 4.7 percent over the first quarter of 2001, largely because of the 66 percent dollar sales increase for DTVs, according to CEA.
