Sony Ericsson cedes ground even in Western Europe

By Kim Young-gyo
SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Inc., the world's
fifth-largest handset manufacturer, has been losing its market presence even in
Western European countries, a global consumer research firm said Monday.
GFK market research group said in a report that the company ceded further ground
in April to other handset makers in France and Germany, in line with the first
three months of this year when the company reported a 35-percent plunge in sales.

In Germany, market shares of Sony Ericsson fell to 22.9 percent in April from
23.5 percent in March. The company has also experienced low sales in France, with
its market share falling to 11.5 percent in April, compared to 13.8 percent in
January.
Sony Ericsson has lagged behind LG Electronics Co. in the French market since
March. The South Korean electronics maker claimed a 15.5 percent market share in
April, up from 13.1 percent in March.
During the first three months of this year, Sony Ericsson ranked third in Western
Europe, the largest market for the company, Boston-based Strategy Analytic (SA)
said earlier.
The Japanese-Swedish company held a 14.4-percent market share after Finland's
Nokia Corp. with 38.5 percent and South Korea's Samsung Electronics with 24.1
percent.
Once the world's third-largest handset maker after Nokia and Motorola, Sony
Ericsson has fallen to fifth position in the global mobile arena since 2008.
The slide has been largely attributed to fierce competition from other handset
makers, especially Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics..
ygkim@yna.co.kr
(END)