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

Study: One In Four U.S. Smartphone Owners Use Mobile Pay, WalmartPay Numbers Unknown

Use of mobile pay among U.S. consumers is growing, particularly at retailers like Starbucks and Walmart U.S. who have adopted their own forms of mobile payment, according to research conducted by Dall...

Parks Associates: US OTT Adoption Up 12%

The adoption of over-the-top (OTT) video services among US broadband households has increased by 12% since the third quarter of 2014, according to Parks Associates. The research firm said that both...

Parks: 73% Of US Internet Homes Connect Their TVs

Some 73% of US broadband homes now connect one or more TV entertainment devices to the web, according to Parks Associates. The research firm said this marked an 11% increase, compared to the beginn...

Parks: Netflix retains OTT top-spot in the US

“Importantly, all of these services have increased their subscriber base over the past year. The top five OTT services have stayed consistent, primarily through maintaining or growing the massive user...