Providing Market Intelligence for 40 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

Almost 50 Percent Of Smart Home Devices Are Self-Installed, Report Finds

A recent study conducted by Parks Associates confirmed the growing popularity of smart devices in the U.S. home security market. The study found that the sale of wireless home security products is on...

The future of mobile payments – are there too many options that are confusing consumers and merchants?

“Merchants are still slowly upgrading their retail point of sale (POS) systems to support various mobile payment options while new payment options keep showing up. No merchants have provided a complet...

How to succeed in the 50+ healthcare market

The population of the United States is aging in a profound way, helped along by a bolus of baby boomers now between 53 and 71 years of age. It’s a huge opportunity for innovative startups, though i...

Study: Netflix Has Lowest Churn Rate Among OTT Services

Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates, said: “Several factors contribute to OTT video service churn by consumers. In some instances, consumers are experimenting with new se...