CEA: Audio Sales Up For 4th Straight Month

By Joseph Palenchar On Sep 30 2002 - 6:00am

Factory-level audio sales grew for the fourth consecutive month in July, when volume rose 3.6 percent to $646.7 million, but the growth rate was slower in comparison with the previous three months, CEA statistics show.

Year-to-date sales were up 0.6 percent to $4.28 billion.

Sales during April, May and June were up 7.1 percent, 12.2 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively, following three consecutive months of declines.

Aftermarket autosound sales posted the highest growth rate in July, followed by home component sales.

In July, autosound sales grew for the fourth consecutive month, rising 16.6 percent to $193 million. Year-to-date sales were up 10 percent to $1.41 billion. So far this year, monthly sales fell only during the month of March.

Home component sales rose 13 percent in July to a five-year high of $115 million. It was the third consecutive month of growth following four months of declines, yielding a year-to-date sales increase of only 0.5 percent to $736 million.

Portable sales grew for the third consecutive month, this time by 3.4 percent to $182 million, but earlier-year losses led to an 8.1 percent drop in year-to-date sales to $1.1 billion.

In the home system market (shelf, rack, and home-theater-in-a-box systems), three consecutive months of strong growth were interrupted by a 13.2 percent drop in July to $157 million. The loss, combined with double-digit-rate declines in the first three months of the year, produced a 0.9 percent year-to-date drop in sales to $1.03 billion.

Total home audio sales (components and systems combined) slipped 3.8 percent in July to $272 million, with year-to-date sales off 0.3 percent to $1.77 billion.