Gamers help LCDs to score higher results

Monitor market set for rapid growth

The LCD monitor market hit a high of almost 70 per cent growth year on year during June, market watcher GfK has revealed.

GfK put the growth down to two main factors: increased distribution/ availability and plummeting prices.

The biggest demand has been for 18-19in screens, which saw a 347 per cent year-on-year increase in sales units, and now account for 20 per cent of all LCD monitors sold.

The biggest channel share increase was in the retail channel, which now accounts for 29 per cent of 18-19in monitors sold, compared with 21 per cent during June 2004.

Tracy Goodfellow, senior account manager IT at GfK, said: “Growth in the LCD monitor market will start to slow down soon. Prices have dropped so quickly over the past year that manufacturers are now trying to stabilise the price. I anticipate that prices will begin to hold steady.”

Darren Tobin, business manager at Ingram Micro UK, said: “We have seen massive growth year on year on units shipped, but this isn’t just down to price.

“For example, the gaming community has always stuck with CRT monitors, because LCD monitors couldn’t keep up with CRT response times. But now more gamers are switching to LCD monitors which take up less space and have response times that virtually match CRT.”

Lee Baker, divisional manager for home entertainment and displays at Midwich, said: “Unit sales of LCD monitors at Midwich have increased by 220 per cent year on year. Although this is largely a result of price erosion, we have diversified into the office equipment channel.

“We have signed distribution agreements with AG Neovo and GNR, two of the fastest growing display brands in the UK market.”