The Recession Going To HELP Or HINDER Car Audio?
03-03-2009, 06:51 PM
#1
The Recession Going To HELP Or HINDER Car Audio?
Since we have both buyers and sellers on this website of everything to do with car audio, I'm just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the recession?
Are we going to see large manufacturer's go out of business?
Deep discounts for consumers?
Anyone overly worried over maybe overly excited?
Are we going to see large manufacturer's go out of business?
Deep discounts for consumers?
Anyone overly worried over maybe overly excited?
03-03-2009, 07:10 PM
#2
im thinking that a huge amount of the car audio companys will go out.
im looking at this as a clean up of the crap stuff. the good comp. with great rep and good reliability will stick. and as of cheap stuff that always breaks will die out. y would you want to by something twice when cash is slim right. buy good stuff once and be done with it.
sooo i say this is gonna help out
im looking at this as a clean up of the crap stuff. the good comp. with great rep and good reliability will stick. and as of cheap stuff that always breaks will die out. y would you want to by something twice when cash is slim right. buy good stuff once and be done with it.
sooo i say this is gonna help out
03-03-2009, 07:20 PM
#4
Yankee
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
I dont see this as much of a discussion item, large manufacturer companies have already gone out of business, large box retailers have already gone out of business and less is less.
You may think your getting a deal on a product as someone is going out of business but you are probably not (30% discount after a 25% markup) or (no warranty "all sales final" for the broken product they put back on the shelf for the going out of business sale).
The strong will survive and their market share will improve and once this is over they will have the upper hand but how much will have been lost? Here is a quote from an anonymous MAJOR manufacturer at CES 2007 "no one can afford the R&D to develop a new HU" so how is this economy going to fix that, it wont. With auto manufacturers going crazy with their HU and doing everything in their power to discourage aftermarket audio we the consumer could be SOL. This could be the end of car audio as we know it, but fret not for every door closing another opens so a new opportunity may come along and with technology it may be even better.
You may think your getting a deal on a product as someone is going out of business but you are probably not (30% discount after a 25% markup) or (no warranty "all sales final" for the broken product they put back on the shelf for the going out of business sale).
The strong will survive and their market share will improve and once this is over they will have the upper hand but how much will have been lost? Here is a quote from an anonymous MAJOR manufacturer at CES 2007 "no one can afford the R&D to develop a new HU" so how is this economy going to fix that, it wont. With auto manufacturers going crazy with their HU and doing everything in their power to discourage aftermarket audio we the consumer could be SOL. This could be the end of car audio as we know it, but fret not for every door closing another opens so a new opportunity may come along and with technology it may be even better.
03-03-2009, 07:22 PM
#5
Yankee
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,599
on the other side of the coin several of my retailer buddies are doing banner business right now and car audio is supporting a store full of home theater and big screen TV's that arent moving
03-03-2009, 07:27 PM
#6
Well audiobahn, and panasoic are out. Many of the lesser known companies have faded away. What we're going to see more of is low price knock-off super low quality stuff, that has all the features.but no quality get even more popular than it is now.
Pioneer, Clarion and Alpine who have most of their business with OEM manufacturing will in all likely hood go the way of quality cutting to save on poduct costs while keeping pricing the same. Kenwood, since they do not do OEM will be pretty unnafected and might gain sales since int he 2010 model year alot of companies will not offer factory installed radios in their base model cars....Also with the "recession" and the whole no more leasing from the big 3..people will be hanging onto cars longer, and th fact that they will be OWNED will prompt more people into spending money in their cars since it isn't going back in years.
In Short, the market is shifting, expect some manufacturers to cut quality, not pricing. Expect more chinese engineered "knock" off brands that sell for cheaper than the cost of materials.
Pioneer, Clarion and Alpine who have most of their business with OEM manufacturing will in all likely hood go the way of quality cutting to save on poduct costs while keeping pricing the same. Kenwood, since they do not do OEM will be pretty unnafected and might gain sales since int he 2010 model year alot of companies will not offer factory installed radios in their base model cars....Also with the "recession" and the whole no more leasing from the big 3..people will be hanging onto cars longer, and th fact that they will be OWNED will prompt more people into spending money in their cars since it isn't going back in years.
In Short, the market is shifting, expect some manufacturers to cut quality, not pricing. Expect more chinese engineered "knock" off brands that sell for cheaper than the cost of materials.
03-04-2009, 04:37 PM
#7
500 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 952
I agree Sikk^^
The bigger manufacturers have eliminated sku's to cut costs, and with car manufacturers suffering, they are bound to pool their resources together and engineer some great things in the upcoming future. Those with the best innovations will survive, and swallow up the smaller companies. So we are in for a lull for a couple of years.., and then who knows?
We are due for cars with HUD and collision avoidance systems pretty soon..,
Today "Smart Car" tomorrow.., smart drivers?
The bigger manufacturers have eliminated sku's to cut costs, and with car manufacturers suffering, they are bound to pool their resources together and engineer some great things in the upcoming future. Those with the best innovations will survive, and swallow up the smaller companies. So we are in for a lull for a couple of years.., and then who knows?
We are due for cars with HUD and collision avoidance systems pretty soon..,
Today "Smart Car" tomorrow.., smart drivers?
03-04-2009, 09:52 PM
#8
My business is booming! AVU Coquitlam is shutting their car audio section down and handing their business over to me.
I have seen many car audio companies die in the last few months. It has boosted my sales and income. I hope that one day FS & BB will give it over to those that can reinvest the passion back into it.
I have seen many car audio companies die in the last few months. It has boosted my sales and income. I hope that one day FS & BB will give it over to those that can reinvest the passion back into it.
03-05-2009, 12:14 AM
#9
50 Watt CAFz'r
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 229
maybe we should look at it like, what kind of things can we look for coming out of the recession. who knows, maybe some companies will go nuts and bring out a catalogs worth of new products and lines? i dunno, i may be just shootin sh*t :S
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