Rapid sales of new gadgets such as Apple’s iPad and ebooks coupled with a new generation of TVs have prompted the Consumer Electronics Association to project an increase in global sales of consumer electronics goods.
Despite problems in markets like the USA and Europe the CEA, organisers of the CES show in Las Vegas, has predicted a 3 per cent rise in sales to US$174.9 billion.
This is up from its previous estimate of growth of 0.3 per cent. The new forecast is US $9 billion higher than the previous one. Industry shipment revenue is expected to hit a new high of more than $182 billion by 2011.
CEA claim that shoppers are responding to new products such as tablet computers and 3D displays, said trade group president and CEO Gary Shapiro. Other hot categories include smartphones, Blu-ray players and e-readers.
The group raised its forecast because the new categories of products are growing so quickly, said Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis.
“We see a stronger second half demand unfolding, and we anticipate a robust holiday quarter,” he said in a news release.
Mobile computing is expected to lead the industry by 2011. The category, which includes laptops, tablets and netbooks but not smartphones, will reach more than $26 billion in shipment revenue by next year. Much of that growth will come from tablets such as the iPad as more companies try to duplicate its success.
