HEADSETS continue to drive the accessories sector, with market leader Turtle Beach winning 27 per cent of votes in this year’s survey. It’s almost on par with the vendor’s approval rating last year, when it received 28 per cent of votes. Turtle Beach has seen high demand for its product in the UK this year, prompting its acquistion of UK distribution partner Lygo. It was followed closely by Orb, which took a quarter of the votes. A key feather in this firm’s cap is its partnership deals with select retail chains such as Blockbuster, with Orb accessories the primary products available in these stores. Gioteck – also noted for its gaming headsets – fared well with 15 per cent of votes and was the only other peripherals brand to win more than a tenth of the votes. In addition to specific vendors, retailers also cited strong sales of merchandise from popular brands such as Angry Birdsand Skylanders.
WHICH GAMING HARDWARE DO YOU EXPECT THE BEST SALES PERFORMANCE FROM IN 2013? Wii U 25%
46% Xbox 360
New PlayStation 4%
New Xbox 11%
3DS 2% PS3 12%
RETAILERS are looking to Microsoft for the majority of their sales next year, with almost half of our surveyed stores claiming Xbox 360 will be the best-selling console of 2013. The seven-year-old machine is expected to outsell new Nintendo platform
Wii U, which came in second with 25 per cent. PS3 only claimed 12 per cent of votes, while the original Wii failed to raise a mention – perhaps because of the anticipated arrival of new consoles.
That said, there were low expectations for the new Xbox and PlayStation. Little is known about these consoles, including whether or not they will even land on shelves next year. While many store managers put the next generation high on their wishlist, they do not expect significant sales from new consoles in 2013. However, it is the handheld sector that is expected to generate the fewest sales. Only two per cent of retailers had high hopes for 3DS, while none mentioned Sony’s PlayStation Vita. The PC is also notable for its absence.
DO YOU PREDICT YOUR XMAS TAKINGS WILL BE GREATER THAN, SAME AS OR LOWER THAN LAST YEAR? Same 30%
38% Greater Lower 26% Don't Know 6%
38 per cent of retailers believe their takings over the holidays will be higher than in 2011 – a marked improvement since last year’s survey, when a third of retailers expected to see their seasonal sales fall.
The mood has no doubt been improved by a steady release of triple-A games throughout Q4, such as FIFA, Call of Duty, Halo, Assassin’s Creed, Hitman – not to mention the release of Nintendo’s newest console Wii U.
A further 30 per cent of store managers expect similar takings when compared to last year, suggesting market decline may not have been felt as heavily as people think, while just over a quarter expect a worse performance over Christmas.
THE MARKET may have been tough throughout 2012, but the High Street is confident things will perk up this Christmas.
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