PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, MARCH 25, 2009 – The weakening economy didn't stop consumers in the Houston area from purchasing consumer technology* products in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to store level** data from leading market research company, The NPD Group.
In fact, Houston was the only designated market area (DMA) of the top 45 to post an increase in sales. Houston saw dollar sales increase 2.3 percent. Strong sales of LCD TVs, notebook computers, digital cables, DSLR cameras, and camera accessories helped Houston's growth.
Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Minneapolis saw the smallest declines in sales in the fourth quarter, while Seattle, Tampa, Portland, Salt Lake City, and West Palm Beach saw the greatest declines.
| Top and Bottom Consumer Technology Markets Q4 2008 versus Q4 2007 |
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| Rank | Designated Market Area | Dollar % Change | |
| 1 | Houston | +2.3% | |
| 2 | Milwaukee | -4.9% | |
| 3 | St. Louis | -6.6% | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | -6.7% | |
| 5 | Minneapolis | -7.1% | |
| Rank | Designated Market Area | Dollar % Change | |
| 41 | Seattle | -16.5% | |
| 42 | Tampa | -18.1% | |
| 43 | Portland | -18.6% | |
| 44 | Salt Lake City | -18.6% | |
| 45 | West Palm Beach | -18.8% | |
| Source: The NPD Group/Market Tracking Service | |||
"Houston's success shows that large key categories must grow for the consumer technology industry to thrive, and without strong growth in those segments it is very difficult to see overall sales results increase," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD. "The dynamics of every market are different, from the number of stores to the demographics of the consumer, add that to the way today's economy is impacting consumer spending and the need to have the right products promoted the right way to help retailers and manufacturers remain successful becomes even more important."
For more information about NPD's store level data, contact Charles Camaroto at 866-444-1411 or e-mail contactnpd@npd.com.
*Consumer Technology sales include IT, imaging, audio, video, and consumables, and exclude video game hardware and software, PC software, and mobile phones.
**These results are based on NPD's participating store level retailer panel (approximately 60 retailers, 17,000 stores across the US).
About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,700 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or or visit http://www.npd.com and http://www.npdgroupblog.com.