Market research company GfK has revealed that i-Size car seats are leading the way in the car seat market. Client insight manager Marco Salerno takes a look at how the infant restraints have been driving growth against a backdrop of falling consumer demand.
“In recent years, the car seats category has been on the rise, with a 13% and 4% value increase in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Sadly that was not the case in 2018, when sales declined by 1.5% over the course of the year. Despite the poor performance, the sector is still outperforming the strollers market which fell by almost 7%. However, these figures do show a relatively sharp slowdown.”
“Despite this, it was once again the high-value £200+ car seat models which outperformed, accounting for 8% of volume and an impressive 26% of value. Newer i-Size system models (those based on a child’s height rather than weight) continue to contribute to this trend. With an ASP of £219 compared to the market average of £83, this high value segment of the market grew 24% in value over 2018.”
“While sales of combination seats and seats for older children have remained relatively stable year-on-year, the value coming through sales of seats specifically for infants fell by 14%. This indicates the growing popularity of i-Size models among new parents who are increasingly prepared to pay a premium for these products, with one benefit being that they can be used for a longer period of time.”
“While these systems have now become far more prevalent in the market, ASP growth has in turn slowed down. At the same time, as consumer demand in the wider category continues to fall, these products are likely to record ongoing growth for some time to come.”
