Taiwan’s LED light bulb market continued strong growth last year, as the average unit price slid to NT$200 (US$6.62) last year, according to a research report by the market information advisory firm GfK.
About 5 million LED light bulbs were sold in Taiwan last year, an annual increase of 43 percent, the report said.
The product’s market share increased from 39 percent to 69 percent in 2012 and expanded to 76 percent last year, it said.
Although the drop in LED light bulb prices has eroded the market for energy-saving light bulbs such as compact fluorescents, it is good that consumers have more options, GfK said.
LED lighting tubes also became more popular last year, with sales growing amid increasing public awareness of sustainable development, the research firm said.
“Once the average selling price reaches a sweet spot for consumers, the product’s market scale is likely to expand and drive the overall market,” GfK Taiwan analyst Hsieh Huai-huan (謝槐桓) said.
The price of LED light tubes averaged NT$750 last year, a “relatively high” level compared with NT$60 for other tubes, he said.
With fiercer market competition among companies and brands, LED lighting will continue to drive the general lighting market, Hsieh said.
Market information advisory firm LEDinside held a similar view, saying that the rapid decline in LED lighting prices will continue to drive the market.
It forecast that global LED bulb and tube demand will grow 86 percent and 89 percent respectively year-on-year this year.
The average selling price of LED bulbs used to replace standard 40-watt bulbs declined 0.8 percent month-on-month in February to US$15.10, while that of 60W-equivalent LED bulbs dropped 2.1 percent to US$20.80, the LEDinside report showed.
“The rapid price decline of top brand products has made it possible for them to offer products with better specifications and encouraged the integration of regional markets,” the advisory firm said.
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