Paris – High-end and digital U.S. television sales were positive factors at Thomson Multimedia in a quarter where overall revenue in the company’s consumer products segment dropped by 16 percent, reaching $1.2 billion, down from $1.4 billion in the first quarter of 2001.
Thomson’s Consumer Products segment, by far its largest, reported a falling market for most product categories except television, where it reported market share gains in high end and digital sets, which was partially offset by ‘less robust’ core television sales. The company also reported strong growth worldwide in communications, which offset price and volume declines in audio.
Overall Thomson sales in the first quarter reached $2.2 billion, down 10 percent from the $2 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2001.
Going forward, Thomson expects to benefit in 2002 from investments in tubes and DVD replication capacity, key set-top box agreements, the acceleration of licensing of digital technologies and the launch of its RCA Scenium product line in the Americas.
Thomson reaffirms its 2002 objectives of double-digit growth for revenue and operating results. The company now expects its operating result to grow slightly faster than revenue for the full year.
Thomson, a foreign-owned firm, reports revenue on a quarterly basis and earnings twice yearly on the half year and at full year.
