Providing Market Intelligence for 40 Years

In The News

Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest

A study released this month by Parks Associates found only 18 percent of consumers would buy a smart thermostat at $250, but offering a $100 rebate more than doubled the pool of interested buyers.

"The market for smart thermostats is still in the early adopter phase," said Tom Kerber, director of internet of things strategy for Parks Associates, a Texas-based consumer technology research and consulting company. "To move beyond early adopters, they have to offer products at a lower price point."

Kerber said prices for the first-generation smart thermostats started at about $400 but have dropped to about $250 for Nest and other leading products. He said breaking through the $150 price point opens it up to a broader market.

From the article "Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest" by Robert Channick.

Previously In The News

Streaming is heading toward a breaking point with consumers

However, while work on that puzzle continues and multiple companies look for a way to get streaming subscribers to stay in one place, customer churn is still high. Or, as Parks Associates describes it...

Apple’s HomePod Has Arrived. Don’t Rush to Buy It.

Apple also provided statistics on smart speaker usage from the research firm Parks Associates. That report also found that playing music and getting the weather were the top uses of smart speakers, wh...

Walmart seeks to unload Vudu: report

Brett Sappington, senior research director and principal analyst at Parks Associates, added that the transactional market for video, Vudu’s core business, has begun eroding as movie studios no longer...

Wolk’s Week in Review: Is anyone paying for Flixes, vMVPDs get hot (for now)

A new study from Parks Associates reveals that a whopping 43% of households are planning to switch to vMVPDs this year, a category I’m willing to bet few of them were even aware of a year or two ago,...