Port Washington, N.Y. — Garmin’s market share for the fourth quarter slid by 14 percent in units, while TomTom gained by a near equal margin of 13 percent, according to The NPD Group.
Garmin’s dollar share also fell 12 percent but the company remains the market leader by a wide margin with 45 percent of total dollars and 37 percent of units.
TomTom reached a unit share of 27 percent and a dollar share of 24 percent for the quarter based on “aggressive advertising and marketing efforts as well as competitive pricing.”
Industry members said TomTom commonly advertised TomTom One products at a $149 street price while Garmin maintained a street price of $199 for its popular entry product, the Nuvi 200.
NPD industry analysis VP Steve Baker noted, “Garmin considers itself to be the premium player and they want to get a fair [price] for what they have. And it’s not an unreasonable thought process … I don’t think Garmin will be whittled away. I think they’ll probably maintain being a top brand.”
Garmin and TomTom announce quarterly earnings on Feb. 20 and 21, respectively, and said they would not comment on market share until that time.
Also during the quarter Magellan’s share gained by 4 percent in units and 3 percent in dollars, and Mio remained a No. 4 player with 8 percent unit share.
The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service
