New products to integrate audio/video playback, built-in card reader, built-in stereo speakers and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity
-- Global Sources China Sourcing Report
HONG KONG, Sept. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fierce competition at the low-end is forcing digital photo frame suppliers in Greater China to turn to higher-end products that offer better profit margins, according to Global Sources' (Nasdaq: GSOL) China Sourcing Report: Digital Photo Frames ( http://www.chinasourcingreports.com/digitalphotoframes08 ).
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Survey results in the Report show a major reverse in pricing trends: in 2008, export price increases are planned by 62 percent of manufacturers, compared with 80 percent who anticipated price decreases in 2007.
"Due to low technology barriers for basic digital photo frame production, the supplier base has become overcrowded at the low end," said Mark A. Saunderson, Publisher of the Report. "This is causing many suppliers to engage in cutthroat price competition. Many suppliers with weak manufacturing and R&D capabilities have been forced to exit the product line because of resource bottlenecks and margin pressures.
"The remaining manufacturers are boosting R&D to produce higher-end products for better profits. Increased production costs, plus the higher raw material and labor costs are expected to add up to 10 percent to export quotes for most products. Although prices are going up, buyers can expect to get higher-quality products rivaling those produced by large multinationals."
Global demand continues to rise; market shifting to Europe
Global market for digital photo frames is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent until 2012. Banking on the positive growth of the market, 81 percent of suppliers surveyed said they plan to expand capacity in the coming months.
Eleven percent of manufacturers plan to shift their target export market from the US to European countries, where demand remains robust for high-end products.
While most popular screen sizes are expected to gradually become larger, 61 percent of export models remain in the 5 to 7 inch range due to their convenient size for image display and acceptable price levels.
Supplier profiles, price forecasts and new digital photo frame export models
The 101-page China Sourcing Report: Digital Photo Frames provides detailed profiles of 42 suppliers with verified manufacturing and export credentials. It includes a Product Gallery featuring 143 of the most popular export models, with key specifications and full-color pictures.
The Report's surveys, price trends and supply forecasts aim to help buyers make better-informed purchasing decisions.
Specialized Global Sources websites, face-to-face events and trade magazines and research reports
China Sourcing Reports are part of Global Sources' sourcing and product information services. These include Global Sources Online ( http://www.globalsources.com ), China Sourcing Fairs ( http://www.chinasourcingfair.com ), Global Sources monthly magazines and Global Sources Direct ( http://www.GlobalSourcesDirect.com ). For more information about Global Sources' products and services that connect quality buyers with verified suppliers, visit http://corporate.globalsources.com .
The China Sourcing Report: Digital Photo Frames is available for purchase at http://www.chinasourcingreports.com/digitalphotoframes08 .
Free information about Greater China digital photo frame suppliers and products can be found at http://www.chinasuppliers.globalsources.com/china-suppliers/Picture-Frame.htm .
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About Global Sources
Global Sources is a leading business-to-business media company and a primary facilitator of trade with Greater China. The core business is facilitating trade from Greater China to the world, using a wide range of English-language media. The other business segments facilitate trade from the world to Greater China, and trade within China, using Chinese-language media.
The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 725,000 active buyers source more profitably from complex overseas supply markets. With the goal of providing the most effective ways possible to advertise, market and sell, Global Sources enables suppliers to sell to hard-to-reach buyers in over 230 countries.
The company offers the most extensive range of media and export marketing services in the industries it serves. It delivers information on 4.3 million products and more than 196,000 suppliers annually through 14 online marketplaces, 13 monthly magazines, over 100 sourcing research reports and 9 specialized trade shows which run 27 times a year across eight cities.
Suppliers receive more than 36 million sales leads annually from buyers through Global Sources Online (http://www.globalsources.com) alone.
Global Sources has been facilitating global trade for 37 years. Global Sources' network covers more than 69 cities worldwide. In mainland China, Global Sources has over 2,800 team members in more than 44 locations, and a community of over 1 million registered online users and magazine readers for Chinese-language media.
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