PMA Data Watch: Digital camera sales this past December a slight improvement over the past couple of years

According to PMA Marketing Research, typically, 30-40 percent of digital camera sales occur in the last quarter of any given year. With a faltering economy, this past November and December were extremely rough for retailers. Once again, the year as a whole was not favorable for digital camera manufacturers and retailers.
  Digital camera unit sales were down 2 percent in December 2009 compared to the same month last year, reports the latest PMA Monthly Printing and Camera Trends Report. November was a little better as unit sales were up 2 percent compared to the previous year. In December 2008, digital camera sales were down 7 percent compared to the prior year. Looking back at December 2007, digital camera sales were down 3 percent compared to the previous year.
  For the entire year during 2009, digital camera unit sales were down 8 percent. In 2008, sales were down 2 percent in unit terms. Revenue from sales of digital cameras was down 10 percent, whereas in 2008, revenue was down 8 percent. Looking back at December 2007, revenue from digital camera sales was up a fraction of a percent compared to the year prior. Increased revenue is the result of competitive products and slightly higher sales, despite the weak economy.