US consumer electronics spending reached $76.9 bln in 2005

The NPD Group said consumers spent $76.9 bln on consumer electronics and PCs in 2005, compared with $71.2 bln in 2004. Unit sales of notebook and desktop computers were up 45% and 5%. Revenues for notebooks grew 21%, but an 8% drop in average prices for desktops led to a 3% decline in overall revenues. Unit sales of flat-panel LCD TVs grew 160% over 2004, while revenues rose 127%. Plasma TVs posted numbers of 128% and 70%. Portable music players, or MP3 players, saw a 159% rise in unit sales and a 121% jump in revenues. Digital cameras were up 21% and 16%.