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

Report: Consumers’ Growing Appetite For Solar, Storage And Bundled Home Energy Services

The number of broadband households that have adopted rooftop solar panels doubled to 4 percent in the period 2013 to 2015. Seven percent of U.S. broadband households said they plan to purchase solar p...

68 Percent Smartphone Users Stream Music Daily: Study

A US-based market researcher in its study said that 68 percent of smartphone owners in the country listen to music via streaming outlets on a daily basis. Parks Associates has released new data that r...

Autonomous Cars Could Bring $20 Billion to Hollywood

The consumer demand for mobile streaming isn’t lacking either. Among U.S. households, more than half want their next car to offer Wi-Fi, according to Jennifer Kent, connected car analyst for Parks Ass...

Facebook Reportedly In Talks To Stream NFL's 'Thursday Night Football' Games

A matchup of the titans of tech and TV would mark a watershed moment for the media and Silicon Valley, whose leading companies are flush with cash and hungry for premium content to attract more eyebal...