About Futuresource Consulting

Futuresource Consulting, the specialist research and consulting company, is delighted to be the official knowledge partner for CEATEC JAPAN. The company can trace its roots back to the 1980s and provides market insights into consumer electronics, digital imaging, entertainment media, broadcast, optical manufacturing, storage media, professional IT and education technology.
With more than 70 full-time employees providing in-depth analysis and forecasts across consumer and professional electronics categories, Futuresource is able to advise on market, competitive and technological developments, providing clients with access to the information that helps produce the best possible results.

Vol.312012/9/24

Worldwide Action Cam Market to Achieve Nearly Two Million Unit Shipments in 2012

In 2011, the action cam market achieved 24% growth, reaching nearly 1.5 million units shipped, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting. The market has been driven primarily by the US, accounting for 55% of worldwide sales in 2011. The market is on track to achieve nearly two million units shipped in 2012 and anticipating even greater growth by 2016, with the market more than doubling to exceed five million units, representing a total retail value of almost $1.7 billion.

Having been viewed traditionally as a niche market, demand is driven by extreme sports enthusiasts as the devices possess a unique range of features, including remote functionality, mount capability and rugged, waterproof design. More recently, social networking, powered by integrated Wi-Fi and the inclusion of Bluetooth, has become a key driver, encouraging a move towards wider groups, including keen travellers.

Unlike the traditional consumer camcorder market, action cam growth will remain resilient to the threat of convergence and video-enabled phones, due to the specialist functions and capabilities associated with the devices. The market is forecast to witness over 37% CAGR between 2012 and 2016 as these specialist devices begin to appeal to a wider audience.

In terms of key brands, GoPro has cemented its position as the dominant player, followed by Contour and Drift. However, in recent months traditional CE brands, such as Sony and JVC, have entered the market in a bid to diversify from ailing traditional camcorder devices.

As more devices come to market, and user-groups develop, average retail prices are expected to decline by 19% between 2012 and 2016, to around $304. Bundling devices with mounts and other accessories has been a key driver in recent years, with bundles which have been tailored to a specific sport or activity performing particularly well. Hard bundle sales such as these are forecast to become of increasing importance moving forward, accounting for 77% of worldwide sales in 2016.

As the market expands into wider user-groups, channel distribution is rapidly shifting from specialist sports and online retailers to more mainstream CE chains. While this has led to a surge in sales of action cam devices, it has resulted in further declines in the traditional camcorder market. A war for shelf-space is currently being waged between the two categories, with an increasing number of CE retailers now favouring the growing action cam segment, while sales of traditional camcorders fall.

Futuresource Conferences @ CEATEC JAPAN 2012 are planned as below.

Wednesday 3rd October 2012 [Room 201A]
(English with Japanese simultaneous interpretation)