“Microsoft Corp.’s Zune device dropped to fifth place from second in the U.S. market for digital media players in its second week in stores, market researcher NPD Group Inc. said,” Dina Bass reports for Bloomberg.
Bass reports, “Zune captured 2.1 percent of the market in the week ended Nov. 25, said Stephen Baker, an analyst at Port Washington, New York-based NPD, in an interview today. Baker said Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod remained the leader, with 39.4 percent that week, based on units sold.”
Bass reports, “Zune’s market share declined as SanDisk Corp. boosted sales with a 50 percent price cut on its media players, taking a 39.3 percent share and knocking Microsoft from the No. 2 spot it occupied in its first week in the market. Redmond, Washington- based Microsoft sold about the same number of units as the previous week, failing to keep pace with rising holiday sales.”
“Baker said SanDisk typically cuts prices the week of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, taking more of the market from Apple than usual,” Bass reports.
“Zune took 9 percent share of units sold in its first week on the market, beating out SanDisk for second place after iPod in the week ended Nov. 18. Apple had a 63 percent share that week. ‘Second place for Zune is by no means a done deal,’ said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at New York-based JupiterResearch,” Bass reports. “Creative Technology Ltd. was third, while Memorex International Inc. was fourth. Walt Disney Co. tied for fifth place with Microsoft. Overall unit sales rose 26 percent from the same week of last year, Baker said. NPD doesn’t disclose the number of units each company sold.”
Full article here.
“iPods led all manufacturers with 66 percent of dollars spent in the category, while SanDisk had 18 percent. The difference is explained by pricing–the average price of SanDisk players sold during the Black Friday week was $51, versus Apple’s $187, due to heavy promotional discounts offered by SanDisk,” Erica Ogg and Tom Krazit report for CNET News.
Ogg and Krazit report, “Apple ‘actually had a pretty good week,’ said Baker. ‘Considering SanDisk is out there giving stuff away, selling stuff for $29 or $39 dollars that would normally be $89 or $100 dollars.'”
Full article here.
All is proceeding pretty much exactly as we’ve been expecting all along. Redmond’s first week fake market share jubilation has been dashed all to hell with utter repudiation. 
Note: Regarding the actual market share numbers for iPod, NPD does not report sales from Apple Retail Stores, the Apple Store online, Wal-Mart, or Amazon.com, which, as you might imagine, skews the iPod numbers wildly from week to week.
Related articles:
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Ouch…beat out by Memorex International…what the hell to do they make anyway?
Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuune! Splat!
Umm, somebody’s math is off, as there is no way in hell that the iPod had 39.4% market share and SanDisk had 39.3% last week. Where are they getting these bogus numbers from anyway?
#75 on Amazon.
Going, going…
It mirrors human behavior. When oppressed people are down and out and at the bottom of the social pecking order, they put their energy into fighting each other for position, rather than uniting to fight the top dog.
SanDisk may emerge from all of this as the legitimate #2, and may get about 25% of the market from die-hard Apple haters who would rather cut off their own noses to spite Jobs and co.
And all of this is exactly as MDN predicted, so kudos.
Wal Mart could probably sell more if they didn’t have them on the shelf between the Charmin and Quilted Northern…
Yeah, these numbers don’t add up.
So they’re saying the iPod dropped from 63% share all the way down to 39.4% last week, while SanDisk went skyrocketed up from 8% to 39.3% due to a price drop??
I’m sorry, but their numbers are total bullsh*t. There is absolutely no way SanDisk sold as many players as Apple did last week, especially considering Black Friday was during that time period.
Now that’s what I’m talking about! YEAH!!
FSCK YOU, ZUNE TANG!
I always look at the Sunday newspaper ad inserts to see how a product is advertised. Unfortunately for the Zune, they were onoly in the Circuit City ad as far as Electronics retailers go. They were in the Sears ad and the office supplies ads. Zune won;t sell many at Staple and Office depot. And the Circuit City and Sears ads did not advertise Zune on the first page. You don’t advertise what is not selling.
Of note: Circuit City’s ad touted Macintosh sales have begun. Interesting.
no surprises here!
Did you guys read the note about NPD not using Apple Store Online, Apple Store retail, Wallmart, or Amazon.com sales figures?
“Baker said SanDisk typically cuts prices the week of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, taking more of the market from Apple than usual.”
Maybe the numbers are right afterall. They say SanDisk took heavy slashes in price. And as MDN said, “NPD does not report sales from Apple Retail Stores, the Apple Store online, Wal-Mart, or Amazon.com.”
Lets see you cocky you all are when zune 2G comes out next year and Micosoft basically gives the fsckers away.
You won’t be laughing then.
TowerTone wrote: “Wal Mart could probably sell more if they didn’t have them on the shelf between the Charmin and Quilted Northern…”
Yeah, but how else would WalMart sell toilet tissue if they put the Zune elsewhere in the store? Can you say MontaZUNEma’s revenge? Thought so!
ROFL!
I think i just squirted all over myself from laughing so hard
Okay everyone, I admit defeat.
Hasta la vista, social!
Again, this is a market M$ must take- and they won’t. This will be reflected on as the beginning of the end for m$ as we know it- the crack in the dike so to speak. hahaha. Did I say crack in the dike?
This is purely manipulation of statistics. Once SanDisk and Apple stop cheating with their faux price cuts designed solely to bolster apparent marketshare, it will become obvious that Microsoft is really in the lead. The superior design and features of the Zune will win over consumers in the coming weeks. People will finally learn to reject the poorly designed, ugly brick that is the iPod and embrace the intuitive and sleekly designed Zune.
Welcome to the social.
Kind of reminds you of Mac’s market share.
I already knew it!
Big F’ing Deal,
Kind of reminds you of Mac’s market share.
Except that the Mac has 6% of US market share and is rapidly growing share instead of totally collapsing like Zune’s.
Not very reminiscent after all, is it?
“Once SanDisk and Apple stop cheating with their faux price cuts designed solely to bolster apparent marketshare…”
“iPods led all manufacturers with 66 percent of dollars spent in the category, while SanDisk had 18 percent. The difference is explained by pricing–the average price of SanDisk players sold during the Black Friday week was $51, versus Apple’s $187, due to heavy promotional discounts offered by SanDisk.”
No “faux price cuts” on Apple’s behalf.
Microsoft seems to think that they will get many chances with new versions of the Zune. But they have already besmirched the brand by collecting almost uniform ridicule. They overcame negative reviews on Windows when they finally won the operating system dominance war in the early 90’s, but the Internet has changed the game. The demographic for the mobile media players is well connected to the net and aware of Zune’s rotten reputation.
Welcome to the social, Microsoft.
MW: efforts — as in “All Microsoft’s efforts with Zune are doomed to come to nought.
Ouch…oh, and Zune Tang, I think you need some Poon Tang.
Zune Tang, you’re not funny anymore. Please, for the love of God, get a life!