Thailand Smartphone Industry Ends 2020 on a Flat Note

[webfact]

 

By: Counterpoint Research

 

Thailand’s smartphone market normalized in the fourth quarter of 2020 to help bring a challenging and erratic year to a close just slightly off 2019 in terms of unit shipments. An unexpectedly strong third quarter which saw 27% YoY shipment growth driven by pent-up demand and online buying helped to offset a first half plagued by lockdowns and negative consumer sentiment.

 

According to Counterpoint Research’s Q4 2020 Channel Share Tracker, Thailand’s 2020 smartphone shipments declined only 2% annually to come in at just over 20 million shipments. Especially strong performance from Realme, OPPO, vivo and Xiaomi during the second half helped carry the overall market, allowing it to stay almost flat for the year despite pandemic challenges.

 

Along with the recovery we also saw distribution and product mix continue to shift. Online channels saw significant growth during the second half as consumers increasingly went online to buy their devices.

 

Source: https://www.eetasia.com/thailand-smartphone-industry-ends-2020-on-a-flat-note/

 

-- © Copyright EET ASIA 2021-03-26

 

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[RichardColeman]

I guess they would not want to upset Huawei with a down arrow

[Pib]

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I guess they would not want to upset Huawei with a down arrow

Nor Samsung.  Guess the research company didn't want to point out any negatives more than it had to....maybe visual negatives on charts are considered more damaging (and noticeable) than written negatives a person may not read/just glance over.

 

I'm not so sure that I believe there was only a 2% reduction in 2020 sales because for the last 6-9 months when I walk by the zillions of stores in malls which sell smartphones the stores have few to no customers....much less busy than previous years.   Instead, it's basically a half dozen sales persons standing around with a look on their faces wondering "where have all the customers gone?"

 

[sathornlover]

11 minutes ago, Pib said:

 

I'm not so sure that I believe there was only a 2% reduction in 2020 sales because for the last 6-9 months when I walk by the zillions of stores in malls which sell smartphones the stores have few to no customers....much less busy than previous years.   Instead, it's basically a half dozen sales persons standing around with a look on their faces wondering "where have all the customers gone?"

 

 

“The jump to online is a trend we’re seeing across the region and something accelerated by the pandemic."

[Pib]

1 hour ago, sathornlover said:

 

“The jump to online is a trend we’re seeing across the region and something accelerated by the pandemic."

Yea...I know the article is focusing on online sales, but with the economy down I think smartphones is something "many have decided not to buy as often and use their limited money on higher priority items" like paying the rent, buying food, etc.   Plus, smartphones now days made by all the manufacturers seems to make very minor advances in technology year over year.....I mean do you really need a new phone every year or two to surf the internet, check your email, communicate on LINE & Facebore, make a call/text, etc.

 

From the malls I visit in the Bangkok area the overall foot traffic in the mall is still pretty good, but the smartphone stores in those malls seem to have a lot fewer customers compared to the previous years.   Just last week when the wife and I was in a Tesco Lotus mall where one hallway of the mall is pretty much all smartphones stores (around 10 of them)....not little booths but stores....I mentioned to the wife to look at the stores as we walked by them and tell me what she saw.....she said they don't have any customers....just sales reps standing around waiting for customers.    That was exactly the answer I was expecting because that is what I had been noticing for months.

 

Yeap, I think new smartphones (bought at a store or online) have been put further down the priority shopping list with the on-going pandemic, slowed economy, and minor advances in technology year over year.