Consumer electronics shipments rose 0.2 percent in July from the prior year to 213.2 billion yen as continued strength in flat-panel televisions offset an overall decline in the visual equipment segment, an industry body said Thursday.
The figures showed the 12th straight month of increase.
Among three key product categories covered in a report by the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, shipments of video and TV sets fell 2.9 percent to 124.5 billion yen for the first decrease in 12 months.
The association attributed the slump in visual equipment to falls in per-unit prices. But liquid crystal display color TVs with 10-inch or wider screens bucked the trend, registering shipments of 399,000 units, up 26.0 percent.
The shipment of audio equipment dropped 10.8 percent to 17.6 billion yen for the fifth-consecutive month of decrease, as sales of stereo sets fell for 14 months in a row.