CEMA Releases Latest Sales Stats

According to the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA), the month of August saw hot increases in the sales of audio products. Factory sales of audio products rose 7%, to $694 million, equaling year-to-date revenues of $4.7 billion, slightly ahead of the first eight months of 1998.

CEMA reports that the portable audio category made a huge comeback in August, with sales increasing 9%, to $216 million. CEMA says that contributing to this comeback are the sales of portable CD headset units, which grew 26% in August, to $68 million. The sales of home radios and analog tape recorders also helped boost this category, by respective gains of 13% and 18%.

The CEMA numbers also reveal that separate home components continued an upward trend, gaining 10% over the same month last year. August receiver sales to dealers were especially powerful, leaping 41%, to $54 million. August speaker sales also contributed to the growth in this category, rising 4%, to $31 million. The separate-components category is close to keeping par with 1998, with year-to-date sales topping $860 billion.

The aftermarket autosound category also saw another tremendously hot month, according to CEMA, with revenues 19% higher ($187 million) than those of August 1998. CEMA says that August sales of in-dash CD players (up 44%) and car speakers (up 22%) helped accelerate the growth in this category.

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