According to GfK TEMAX, Turkish technical consumer goods (TCG) market grew by 21.7% in the fourth quarter of 2013, compared with Q4 2012, and by 21.5% in 2013 vs. 2012. Smartphones and tablet computers were among the growth drivers.
Telecommunications: Q4 sales up 44% vs. Q4 2012
During Q4 2013, sales of telecommunications increased by 44% compared with Q4 2012, driven by strong smartphone sales. Meanwhile, mobile phone sales have declined. Sales in the telecommunications sector were 10.6 billion TL in 2013. In 2014, regulations are changing the dynamics of the market so that as of February, consumers are not able to purchase smartphones with installment payments. Furthermore, the currency exchange rate fluctuation that started in December will affect the market. Due to these reasons, prices may go up and smartphone growth may slow down.
Information technology: sales 22% higher in Q4 2013 vs. Q4 2012
Information technology (IT) sales rose by 22% in the last quarter of 2013, compared to the same period in 2012. Similar to previous quarters, growth was mainly due to strong tablet sales. Mobile computers, which is the largest segment of the sector in terms of sales value, grew solidly in Q4 2013 compared to Q4 2012, with strong sales of ultrathin notebooks. The main factors that affected sales in the IT sector were the increasing popularity of tablets and, more importantly, the increasing USD and EUR prices due to declines in the value of the Turkish lira linked to economic and political events. Sales in the IT sector in 2013 were up 26.5%, compared with 2012, expressed in Turkish lira.
Office equipment and supplies: upward trend
Sales of office equipment and supplies grew by 30% in the last quarter of 2013, compared with Q4 2012. Sales of inkjet multifunctional printers rose, while single function printers continued to decline.
Major domestic appliances: rise in Q4 2013 vs. Q4 2012
Major domestic appliances (MDA) sales reached TRL 1.85 billion, 9.4% higher in Q4 2013, compared to Q4 2012. Sales were TRL 7.2 billion in 2013, up 9.4%, too, compared to 2012. Washing machines were the appliances with the most growth. Tumble dryers were growing in the last two years, but shrunk in 2013. Built-in hobs and built-in ovens showed a parallel growth, built-in ovens share exceeded the share of freestanding cooking. The share of high-energy class products increased, the share of A+++ washing machines exceeded the European market share level while A++ refrigerators are almost equaled to the share of same segment in European market. 7kg capacity washing machines continued to dominate their segment and also share of 8-9 kg loading capacity and 1000-1200 RPM products increased. Relatively negative events observed in economic and social indicators may restrict the positive growth for MDA in 2014.
Small domestic appliances: sales up for vacuum cleaners, irons and hot beverage makers
Sales in the small domestic appliances (SDA) sector rose 7.6% in 2013, compared to 2012. In Q4 2013, vs. the same quarter of 2012, sales increased by 13.6% to reach TL 731 million. Hot beverage makers and vacuum cleaner sales were strong in Q4 2013 and in 2013 overall. Iron sales were up on demand for ironing systems, while sales were also higher for food preparation, shavers, hair care and sandwich makers.
Consumer electronics: PTV and audio home systems lead to growth
During Q4 2013, sales of consumer electronics increased by 8% over Q4 2012. Sales reached 4.4 million TL for the whole year. The Panel-TV product group saw strong sales in the last quarter of 2013. TVs with both Smart TV and 3D functionality sold well and new technologies were introduced on the market at the end of 2013, including Oled and UltraHD. Audio home system sales could grow by one-digit due to demand in the home theatre segment. Sales of video players/recorders declined in the last quarter of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012, while sales of Blu-ray devices grew.
Photo: SLR and CSC (Mirrorless) segments grow while sector declines
In the last quarter of 2013, sales in the photo sector continued to drop, down 26% in comparison to Q4 2012. Overall sales were 409 million TL for 2013. While sales in the fixed lenses sector decreased, sales of SLR and CSC models increased significantly in 2013, compared to 2012. Demand was driven by features such as high megapixels and Wi-Fi connectivity.
