personal audio consumer electronics
New features
With the MP3 player market arguably nearing saturation point, several brands have introduced new features in order to drive sales. The popularity of affordable, compact MP3 players has burgeoned for those that require a player for activities such as going to gym, where they don’t want to risk damage to their smartphone or high- end music player. Sport-friendly players featuring water resistant casing and wire-free headphones
and Twitter have now become the norm, fuelling the trend for touchscreen devices with large displays
“Websites such as Facebook ”
have also been introduced, while several manufacturers have also launched affordable (and colourful) models aimed at the younger market.
DAB
While personal DAB radios still make up a relatively minor part of the personal audio market, they benefit from a solid fan base, most notably among sports fans. Both of the UK’s major DAB manufacturers offer personal models, which continue to sell extremely well. Although these products remain relatively unchanged since their introduction, some developments have been made when it comes to battery life, with newer models offering up to as much as 150 hours of playback.
Add-on sales
While MP3 player sales have seen tough times recently, the strongest area of the personal audio market continues to be headphones. As the majority of the headphones and earphones supplied with music players tend to be of relatively poor quality (with a few notable exceptions) – the upgrade market is huge. Users can choose from a massive collection of products from low-cost in-ear products, all the way up to high-end noise-cancelling cans. Overall, the sales potential of the add-on market is the personal audio sector’s saving grace. As well as headphones, there is also plenty of opportunity to interest consumers in other accessories such as batteries as well as customisable options such as cases and screen protectors. Many users are also choosing to use their smartphone or portable music player as their main source of music in the home – thanks to the new generation of high-end speaker docks. While cheap and portable models are also available, many brands are now producing high-end kit with integrated iPod docks (plus inputs for hooking up other brands of player). Some of these speakers can even stream music wirelessly directly from the music library on a user’s computer – another advancement in the way in which the punters listen to their tunes. In short, it’s absolutely vital to stock a comprehensive range of add-on products, particularly those that are compatible with the latest smartphones, as this is now many people’s choice of personal music player. ■
Apple's iPod family IndependentElectricalRetailer 36 SalesTrainingGuide12
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