Retail Drone Sales Grew 224% to Nearly $200 Million Over Past Year, NPD Says

Retail drone sales soared 224 percent over the past year as more features such as 4K resolution cameras, Bluetooth and built-in GPS are being offered, the NPD Group said in a Wednesday news release. The research firm said sales for the year ending in April grew to almost $200 million, with DJI, Parrot and Protocol as top sellers. Drones with 4K cameras were more than a third of dollar sales, while devices with built-in GPS generated about 64 percent of revenue, said NPD. Drones costing more than $500 were 56 percent of revenue in the 12 months ending in April, the firm said. "The average drone sold for more than $550 in April, giving drones one of the highest average prices of all categories in technology at retail." Unit sales during the 2015 holiday season grew 445 percent over the prior-year season, with December sales alone increasing 273 percent, NPD said. The firm said the Federal Aviation Administration's requirement to register drones weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds (see 1601060045 and 1602190012) "seemingly" didn't affect demand. "Consumer research indicates drone purchase expectations remain high, especially among younger consumers," NPD industry analyst Ben Arnold said in the release. "This points to continued growth and healthy demand for the category.”