According to GfK Temax, in the first quarter of 2016 the Italian technical consumer goods market recorded an increase of 2.1 percent, compared to the same quarter in 2015. Improvements were noted in three out of the seven sectors, with the biggest increase in the telecommunications and MDA (respectively +6% and +3.4%).
ITALY: TECHNICAL CONSUMER GOODS – SALES VALUE BY CATEGORY
Major domestic appliances
With revenue of 777 million euro, the MDA sector grew in Q1 2016, compared to Q1 2015. This result was primarily due to sales of washing products, especially tumble dryers , up by 8.9 percent on Q1 2015. Sales of freezers slowed, but freestanding cooling continued to improve. The kitchen appliances segment recovered due to the positive impact of cooking products, in particular hobs and ovens.
Small domestic appliances
The home care products area in Q1 2016 – especially the ironing and vacuum cleaners segments – improved, compared to Q1 2015. However, there was a decline of 18 percent in the food preparation segment with a notable fall in sales of food processors. Sales of kettles and hot beverage makers improved, compared to Q1 2015. In the personal care products sector, sales of hair clippers declined (down by 9.2 percent), while dental care and hair styling products registered growth.
Consumer electronics
In Q1 2016, with total sales of 617 million euro, the CE sector recorded a fall of 0.7 percent, compared to the same period in 2015. Turnover in the panel TVs segment increased by 2.4 percent. However, this was not enough to influence the overall turnover in the sector. Loudspeakers continued to sell, rising by 5.9 percent compared to Q1 2015, while sales of camcorders declined.
Photography
In the Photography sector, sales of digital cameras fell marginally in the first quarter of 2016, despite the positive effects of single-lens reflex (SLR) and compact system cameras (CSC). There was also a significant fall in turnover for image displays – down by 20.8 percent, compared to Q1 2015. Turnover in interchangeable lenses improved – up by 8.2 percent – which helped to boost the sector’s performance.
Telecommunications
Overall, the Telecommunications sector improved by 6 percent, compared to Q1 2015, with turnover of 1.478 million euro. Turnover increased for smartphones, driven by high-end models. Despite this, the total sales volume fell and the market became more fragmented, as new brands entered the market. Sales of mobile enhancement devices declined – in particular, cases and chargers.
Information technology
In Q1 2016, sales of mobile PCs grew, thanks to the performance of tablet PCs and convertible models. There was a decline in sales of mediatablets – down by 20.6 percent, compared to the same quarter in 2015. This was mainly due to competition from some products in the mobile PCs segment. Growth was also noted in the visual cam (especially those used in security contexts) and media gateway segments.
Office equipment and consumables
In Q1 2016, turnover increased in the inkjet cartridges segment, while laser cartridges fell. In the printing devices segment, single-function printers recorded a fall, compared to Q1 2015. Multifunctional devices registered a marginal decline in turnover (for both the laser and inkjet versions), although high-end products, including business ink, recorded an increase.
