Sony camera sales continue to soften during Q3 2019
Alpha shipped 900K units
Looking at purely the numbers, in Q3 2019, Alpha sales closely resemble those of Xperia. While sales saw an increase of 200K to 900K for the quarter, it was due to the holiday shopping season and not because Alpha is experiencing increased adoption. But this is where the comparisons end. Unlike Xperia, which is losing market share or virtually has a 0% market share, Alpha continues to take away sales from Canon and Nikon. The difference here is that unlike the smartphone industry, the camera industry as a whole has been detracting for the past decade, which can be seen in Sony’s yearly sales.
As for how camera sales can be down while Sony takes shares away from Canon and Nikon — that’s because while Alpha cameras are growing in popularity in a niche market, the real unit movers, compact cameras under Cybershot, are bleeding sales left and right. Walk into a store, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a compact camera to buy.
FY2019 Forecast (change from October forecast)
Sales: 40 bln yen (2%) downward revision
- ( — ) Lower-than-expected sales of televisions, digital cameras and broadcast- and professional-use products
OI: Remains unchanged from October forecast
- ( — ) Decrease in sales
- (+) Reductions in operating costs
It’s unclear what the bottom for camera sales will be for Sony and the entire industry in 2020 and beyond. For FY18, Sony managed to sell 3.6 million cameras. With one quarter left in 2019, unit sales currently sit at 2.4 million. With Sony having sold 600K during Q4 of 2018 and 2017 while factoring in the coronavirus in Asia, which could affect sales and production, it would be a safe bet to put FY19 camera sales at 2.9 or 3 million.
What do you think will be the bottom for Alpha sales?
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