Global monitor shipment is projected to grow by 5.4% YoY this year owing to strong shipment performances against the downtrend by monitor brands that primarily focus on the consumer markets; as of 2020, these brands have experienced three consecutive years of YoY shipment growth, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations.
This strong shipment performance can be attributed to several pandemic-related factors, such as the rise of WFH and distance education as well as increasing monitor demand from the stay-at-home economy, and also to persistent purchasing momentum in the North American consumer markets.
TrendForce analyst Anita Wang indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed the way consumers make purchases this year. For most members of the general public, this transformation entails a switch to WFH and distance education for work and study, respectively, and the ensuing demand for end-devices, whether purchased out-of-pocket or subsidized by employers, has been wholly reflected in the consumer market. Therefore, brands that primarily focus on the consumer market have performed considerably better in terms of shipment than brands that focus on the commercial market.
With regards to the ranking of monitor brands by shipment volume, Dell remained the industry leader, while AOC/Philips took second place in the rankings thanks to demand from the gaming and consumer markets. On the other hand, HP fell to third place due to sluggish demand in the commercial market.
Of the top 10, Samsung and ASUS benefitted from strong consumer market demand and thereby scored the highest shipment growth. Samsung has been particularly active in cultivating its presence in the monitor market. In addition to its range of high-end products, the company also integrated mainstream products in high demand, such as 23.8-inch IPS FHD monitors, into its monitor product mix. Furthermore, thanks to the high demand for curved VA monitors and Samsung’s aggressive product strategy in the North American market, the company has been able to improve its shipment performance substantially. For 2020, Samsung is expected to reach a 30% YoY increase in monitor shipment, thus raising its rank from sixth place last year to fourth place this year.
ASUS is expected to reach a 40% YoY increase in monitor shipment, which is far superior to the industry average. This YoY growth rate is the highest among the top 10 monitor brands for 2020. ASUS’ remarkable shipment performance derives from its longstanding effort in cultivating the consumer market, in which it has established a positive brand image and clear product positioning. ASUS’ successful product planning also means its gaming monitors have been wildly popular with consumers in the European and U.S. markets.
