According to GfK Temax, the German technical consumer goods market registered a positive trend in the first quarter of 2015 with a sales volume of roughly €14 billion, and an increase of 2.5%, compared to the same period last year. The telecommunications sector recorded the biggest sales growth due to increasing demand for high-value smartphones. Both the small and the major domestic appliances sectors also registered a strong first quarter with sales increases larger than almost all segments.
Small domestic appliances
The German market for small domestic appliances continued its positive trend from 2014, and generated a sales increase of 12.4%, compared to Q1 2014. Thanks to growth in all categories – including kitchen appliances, household products, and personal care products – the sales volume in the first quarter of 2015 rose above the €1 billion.
Major domestic appliances
In the major domestic appliances market, turnover in the first quarter of 2015 grew by 7.4% to €2.2 billion. Energy-efficient and design-oriented appliances with a high convenience factor continued to drive results in this sector.
Telecommunications
With sales growth of 19.8% and a total sales volume of €2.5 billion, the German telecommunications market registered a strong first quarter. With the exception of basic mobile telephones, all product groups contributed to that positive development. Smartphones with very high resolution (8 megapixels and above) were especially in demand among consumers.
Office equipment and consumables
The generated sales volume in the German office equipment and consumables market stood at approximately €1.3 billion. This corresponded to a slightly negative growth rate of minus 0.1%, compared to the same period last year. However, positive developments were noted in the accessories segment, especially for laser cartridges and coated paper. At the same time, demand for so-called advantage packages (combining inkjet cartridges and paper) increased.
Consumer electronics
The German consumer electronics market faced a sales decline of 4.1% in the first quarter of 2015, compared to Q1 2014, corresponding to a sales volume of about €2 billion. Nevertheless, several segments achieved high growth rates, especially docking speakers, soundbars and camcorders. Action cams were also a sales driver.
Information technology
The IT market generated €4.5 billion in Q1 2015, the biggest sales volume of all sectors surveyed in the GfK Temax Germany. However, on a year-on-year basis, sales declined by 4.2% with demand for computing and software products having been especially low. However, some segments look like they could rise in 2015. For example, computing tablets, notebooks, and IT gaming products (keyboards and pointing devices).
Photography*
In Q1 2015, sales in the photography product groups* declined by 13.4% to a total sales volume of €398 million. Nevertheless, demand – especially in the compact system cameras segment and their accessories (lenses, tripods and binoculars) – gave rise to hope for a trend reversal. High-value cameras with additional equipment and accessories were also in demand.
*Photography includes digital cameras and photography accessories.
