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

Smart TVs Join The In-Home Digital Voice Race

The home entertainment market is consolidating around the smart TV, with the TV now being the most commonly used platform for accessing video content, according to Parks Associates. Consumers are b...

Ad Age @ CES: 5 Things We Learned About the Connected Home

Historically, insurance companies' main relationship with consumers has been reminding them to pay their bills or coming to the rescue when something bad happens. Smart homes present those companies w...

How WWE Raw Turned the Brand Into a Global Entertainment Company

The WWE Network, the streaming service that shows WWE playoff matches and original programming, is presently the No. 2 sports OTT service, behind only MLB.tv, according to Parks Associates. Baker expl...

13% of Broadband Households Adopt Smart Thermostats

The adoption of smart thermostats reached 13% of U.S. broadband households in 2017, according to new research. This is an increase from 11% in 2016, based on new smart energy research from Parks As...