The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has released an updated 2015 industry revenue forecast at $286 billion. The update is said to reflect industry sales to consumers. The figure represents consumer spending projected from the $223 billion total industry wholesale revenue announced earlier this year in CEA’s U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts, by accounting for retail margins and additional services. This semi-annual consensus forecast reflects U.S. factory sales to dealers and covers more than 100 consumer electronics (CE) products.
“CEA’s executive board decided it is important for the leading industry association to report industry revenue that accounts for sales to consumers – a common expectation in the consumer goods sector,” said Gary Shapiro, CEA president and CEO. “CEA has historically reported sales in terms of manufacturer sales to the retail channel, and we will continue to use wholesale figures for category-specific sales tracking and forecasting reports that have been relied on by the industry for decades.”
CEA’s U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts is the benchmark for the CE industry. The report includes detailed written analyses chronicling the underlying trends and market forces driving growth and steering the overall industry. CEA employs a unique consensus methodology in creating these forecasts, bringing together inputs from fifty companies across the industry including CE manufacturers, distributors, retailers, technology licensors, market research firms, and other industry constituents. This consensus approach makes CEA forecasts among the most accurate in the business.
CEA will next update its annual forecasts and industry sales report in July.
CEA’s U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts (January 2015) report is available for free to CEA member companies at members.CE.org. Non-members may purchase the study for $2,000 at the CEA Store.