Kodak increases US market share
By
Mike Tomkins
(Friday, February 10, 2006 - 10:14 EST)
An Associated Press news article on the website of Forbes.com reports that Eastman Kodak Co. has extended its lead over rivals Canon Inc. and Sony Corp. in the US digital camera market.
The item, based on information from Massachutts-based market research company IDC, notes that the US domestic market grew by 21% to a total of 28 million units sold in 2005. Kodak's share of the market by units shipped grew to 24.9%, with Canon and Sony's market shares dropping slightly to 17.7% and 16.9% respectively. By shipping 7.05 million cameras in 2005, Kodak increased its unit sales an impressive 43% over 2004 figures.
Last year Kodak took the crown from 2003 market leader Sony, and today's news marks the second straight year at the top for the company. Nikon Corp. took fourth place with an 8.2% market share, followed by Hewlett Packard Co. (7.5%), Olympus Corp. (6.9%), and Fujifilm Photo Film Co. (6.3%). Together, the seven companies accounted for just under 90% of digital cameras sold in the United States in 2005.
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