Adoption of large format displays continues to expand as interactive technology and digital signage capabilities improve
London, 5th February 2020 – The steady change in retail, workspace and classroom environments that is driven by the need to improve customer service or/and collaboration efficiency has resulted in another positive quarter for sales of large format displays (LFDs) through distributors in Western Europe (WE). The latest results from an impressive 2019 show fourth-quarter growth of +13% year-on-year for the category, according to the latest data published by CONTEXT, the IT market intelligence company.
The period was particularly strong for displays that enable interactivity and collaboration: sales of these were up by over 30% in Q4 2019. Although prices continue to decline, as a result of increasing competition between vendors trying to meet customer needs, LFDs continue to offer vendors, distributors and resellers greater value than displays sold in higher volumes. The ongoing introduction of new technologies and solutions (which lead in turn to yet more new applications) has helped revenues climb higher and higher – by almost +40% year-on-year in Q4 2019. Most countries in WE registered double-digit growth for these interactive solutions during 2019, and increasing demand in Spain led to a doubling of sales. Even so, the UK remains the biggest market for LFDs.
The dominant screen size is still 55" and this is used not only for standalone signage but also for videowalls. However, there is interest in smaller sizes, too: in Q4 2019, sales of 49" videowall panels grew by over +130% year-on-year and their average selling price (ASP) fell to about €1400 – almost 40% less than the ASP of 55" panels sold by WE distributors. As the cost of interactive displays with new technologies drops, there is a growing market for even larger screens, and sales of 84"+ displays grew by over +45% in the last quarter of 2019.
Another growth area in WE distribution is premium displays with a high level of brightness (500 nit and above) that enable uninterrupted 24/7 content delivery. In Q4 2019 these accounted for 25% of standalone signage revenues and their sales grew by +28% year-on-year with those of the highest brightness (1000 nit and above) performing particularly well. The leaders in this field are Samsung and Sony followed by LG, NEC and DynaScan. Although Sony saw a drop in sales, all the others registered double-digit growth over the quarter.
“LFDs have been around for some time now but, as sales are expected to continue growing, they remain a hot product for marketers and vendors”, said Dominika Koncewicz, Senior Analyst for Displays at CONTEXT. “This is a result of the continuous evolution of digital signs and their applications in response to new technologies that seem to appear almost every day: screens are no longer just filling up otherwise blank walls but becoming integral parts of a space. Moreover, rapidly developing signage-as-a-service offers will enable businesses to upgrade quickly by investing in digital signage without having to take full and ongoing responsibility for display maintenance and content management.”
About CONTEXT
CONTEXT’s market intelligence, performance benchmarks and opportunity analysis empower clients to optimise operations and accelerate tomorrow’s revenues. With over 35 years of industry partnership and experience reporting on large datasets, CONTEXT delivers analytics at all points in the value chain, providing clients with actionable insights rooted in concrete data and a profound understanding of customer needs. CONTEXT is headquartered in London, with over 300 staff across the world and in 2019 was recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ by Great Place to Work®.
Press Contact
Funda Cizgenakad
T: +44 7876 616 246
E: Funda@contextworld.com