In the fourth quarter of 2015, the Western European Technical Consumer Goods (TCG) market closed with a sales volume of approximately €62.8 billion, according to analysts GfK.
This corresponded to an increase of 2.8%, compared to Q4 2014. The whole of 2015 was also successful with a growth rate of 2.9%, compared to 2014. The total sales volume in 2015 amounted to about €208.9 billion. Leading the growth were telecommunications (TC) and small as well as major domestic appliances (SDA and MDA).
In Q4 2015, the SDA sector in Western European grew again – this time by 9.0%, compared to Q4 2014, with revenue of around €5.1 billion. Total sales volume in 2015 amounted to €15.9 billion – an increase of 8.8%, compared to 2014. As a result, 2015 was a very successful year. The principal sales drivers during the Christmas period were fully automatic espresso machines handstick and robotic vacuum cleaners, GfK says. Personal care products were also in demand.
In Q4 2015, the Western European MDA sector grew by 4.9%, compared to the same period in 2014, and rose to around €8.9 billion. As a result, the sector ended a successful 2015 with a total sales volume of almost €33 billion. This corresponded to an increase of 5.3%, compared to the whole of 2014. All product groups contributed to the positive growth and prices remained very stable throughout the year. The main growth drivers were energy saving appliances with A++ and A+++ labels. Washing machines, cookers and microwave ovens achieved above average growth in the final quarter, GfK adds.
Telecommunications increased sales by 8.5% in the final quarter of 2015, compared to Q4 2014 – up to €16.1 billion. Throughout the whole year, the sector grew 11.7%, compared to 2014, and generated a total sales volume of €51.1 billion. GfK explains that although there were signs that the smartphones market was saturated in most of the Western European territories, replacement purchases in this segment provided a strong, ongoing stimulus.
The news was less positive in the consumer electronics (CE) sector. Once again, in the fourth quarter of 2015, the Western European CE market failed to achieve a turnaround. On a year-on-year basis, the market closed with a sales volume of €9.5 billion, which corresponded to a decrease of 2.1% compared to Q4 2014. However, when 2014 in total is compared to 2015, the sales volume of around €29 billion represented a decrease of 5.2%. As the market for CE products is strongly linked to the market for TVs, the negative tendency registered in 2015 was very much in line with a fall in sales of TVs, GfK adds. The audio products segment continued its positive development as innovative products and solutions accelerated.
