Just when some thought Apple was not doing so well in Japan with the iPod only reaching a 36% market share, apparently the iPod is struggling to sell at all in South Korea with just a mere 1.8% market share. There, the iRiver leads the market with a 35% share, followed by Samsung at 14% and Cowon at 13%, however the iPod is only in 13th place with many other competitors including Sony and Creative still doing better. In the US, the iPod leads the market with a whopping 74% market share.
While most western consumers go after the iPod for its brand name and sleek style, in South Korea consumers want players with as many controls, features and coloured lights as possible. As the iPod lacks most of the features of other players (Radio, removable battery, recording, etc.) this is enough to put most South Korean's off these.
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Yes, South Korea, home of a number of contenders to the iPod's title, favours local product over all that 'designed in California' stuff. According to market watcher GfK's Korean subsidiary, Apple's share of the South Korean MP3 player market is a mere 1.8 per cent - enough to put it in 13th place. That compares to iRiver's market-leading 35 per cent share, Samsung's 14 per cent share and Cowon's 13 per cent, according to the Asia Pulse newswire. Between Cowon and Apple sit the likes of Creative and Sony, and lesser local players. The South Korean market was worth around KRW174.5bn ($xx) in H1 2005, down 16.9 per cent on the same period last year, GfK said. |
It is nice to see that consumers from South Korea look at the specification as apposed to the style of a player before making their purchase. As iRiver is well known for its features, OGG Vorbis support and radio quality, it is not surprising to see this player leading the market there as a result. I wonder how well the iPod shuffle is doing there... 😉
Source: Channel Register
