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

Walmart buying TV-brand Vizio for its ad-fueling customer data

According to a spokesperson for Parks Associate that Ars Technica spoke with, Vizio has 12 percent of connected TV OS market share. WSJ reported last week that Roku OS has more market share at 25 perc...

Disney intros shoppable streaming TV ads via second-screen – Industry Voices: Sorensen

Parks Associates data shows that the vast majority - 88% of internet households shop online at least monthly. 62% of respondents shop on a mobile phone and 60% shop on a computer monthly. Parks Ass...

America’s Over-The-Air Audience Remains Steady Amid Streaming Era

Per tech research firm Parks Associates, 30% of OTA households prefer to have antennas to watch live news, and 20% prefer them for live TV, sports, and movies. From the article, "America’s Over-The...

Building Grid Resilience Amid Climate Change

According to Parks Associates, there is a strong overlap with security and smart home households and solar panel ownership: 17% of security system owners report also owning solar panels, compared to j...