Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors

The company is still “number one,” said Elizabeth Parks, president of market research firm Parks Associates in Dallas. But it’s a shaky number one. Parks estimates that iRobot had nearly two-thirds of the robot vacuum market in 2018, but now holds only a 48 percent share. Meanwhile, rival robot makers like SharkNinja, Roborock, Eufy, and Ecovacs have been steadily chipping away.

One possible reason, according to Parks, is concern about data privacy. More advanced versions of the Roomba and other robots use visual sensors to generate detailed maps of the user’s home. This information is shared with the manufacturers to develop more advanced products, but it could also potentially be used to monitor users.

From the article, "IRobot faces a murky future amid rising Roomba competitors" by Hiawatha Bray

Previously In The News

Amazon Prime Improves Its Customer Retention Rate

It's also comparable to the 9% annual churn for Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), which tops all streaming services, and much better than the 50% rate for Hulu, according to research from Parks Associates. Aside...

DIY Security, Home Automation: What’s a Pro to Do?

One chief reason for the meteoric rise in DIY competition, of course, is market penetration — read: the historical lack thereof. According to the latest Parks Associates research, 75% of U.S. househol...

Amazon Details ‘Custom Home Service’ Featuring CEDIA Smart Home Pros

Why are integrators important to Amazon? Quigley calls custom integrators “the new architects” of the smart home. He cites data from Parks Associates that even though 60 percent of consumers say th...

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Smart Locks

Smart locks contribute enhanced convenience as well as increased security, two of the principal driving factors in any smart device sales. In fact, a recent Parks Associates study found that 45% of sm...