Estimating Portable Flashlight Market

Hi all!

Is there an estimate of the world flashlight market, by sales quantity available with anyone?

Hello Joy, Welcome to our madness! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/party.gif

That question is a real tough one. Can't help you with that...

Joy welcome to CPF

Interesting question, Joy. And probably a difficult one to answer. Just for yucks, I tried to look up the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code for flashlight manufacturers. There isn't a specific SIC code for flashlight makers. They are contained within SIC code 3648 which is "Lighting Equipment, Not Elsewhere Classified".

You can find more flashlight SIC code info here:

Description for SIC 3648: Lighting Equipment, Not Elsewhere Classified

I will fumble a stab at it... if everyone has 3-4 flashlights and destroys/loses/replaces one ever 5-10 years over their lifetime of which 1/3 of the population of the earth can afford to do this that makes about 2 billion people with 3 flashlights replacing about 2/10 billion flashlights a year assuming 10 years or about 200 million flashlights a year replacement with 600-800 million initially divided over approx 50 years of lifetime which makes my guess about 1/4 billion flashlights purchased a year.

From a different perspective, a quick look at a couple manufacturers. SureFire has 300 employees and does $50 million/year. From here
And from here
" Mag Instrument, Inc., maker of Maglite® flashlights, the world's leading premium flashlights, today announced plans to build a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on a 30 acre parcel in Ontario that will consolidate more than 800 jobs, create 1,600 new jobs and generate more than $1 billion per year in economic stimulus."
Edit: Goliath lists Mag as $150 million/ year sales.

That's just two companies, albeit big ones. Market share? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

Larry

I think Lynx Arc nailed that about right on the head, for general population. What you didn't take into account is that most countries issue flashlights to military officers, navy, air force, LEOs, moive casts, TV shows, Home inspectors, ect ect. I would guess that each person in each one of these departments has at least 5 more lights then the normal person, or course I dont think most CFPers are "normal" in the flashlight department but thats beside the point. Figure 500 million that get 2 lights every 2 year so that would up 1/4 a billion a year to 1/2 a billion a year. I know for sure lots of government agencies replace their lights very often.