Report: German home electronics sales fall
November 30, 2023
By Chris Forrester
German consumers are keeping their wallets firmly closed according to a study from HEMIX (Germany’s Home Electronics Market Index). The first 9 months of this year saw a 6.1 per cent fall in sales of a broad range of consumer electronics compared with the same period in 2022.
TVs, the backbone of consumer electronics sales, took a major hit, with sales falling 10.7 per cent to just under €2 billion. The home audio segment also suffered, declining by 6.7 per cent. In contrast, the photography segment showed resilience and growth, with action cams, digital cameras and interchangeable lenses all seeing sales increases.
TV displays sold 2.85 million units (compared with 3.21 million in 2022) in the first 9-months of the year.
One bright spot the home audio/video accessories sub-sector moved upward with a 4.3 per cent rise in sales, reaching almost €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion). Video game consoles also saw a significant uptick in 2023 of 72.7 per cent.
The telecommunications sector presented a mixed bag, said HEMIX. Wearables such as fitness trackers and smartwatches saw a 2 per cent increase in sales, but unit sales fell. Smartphones faced a tougher time with a 7.2 per cent sales decline and a significant drop in units sold.