Digital sets already outstrips analogue sales
Radio is experiencing a renaissance, according to Dixons. The retailer said that the last time it had seen comparable sales volume of portable radios was 1985. The rise in popularity of sets is because of the uptake of digital radio.

According to Dixons, digital radio closed the gap on its analogue predecessor during last year, when it accounted for one in 10 portable audio products sold. Digital radios finally overtook sales of analogue sets in January, and are now outselling conventional radios two to one. Dixons said this rate of growth makes it the fastest technology to reach mass-market status. Year-on-year sales have more than doubled for digital sets. A spokeswoman for Dixons said that their were 453,000 digital sets in UK households at the end of 2003 and twelve months later that number had reached 1 million. Dixons expects demand for digital sets to continue through the year, with a growth of more than 50 per cent for the digital radio market.

Dixons managing director Nick Wood said: ' This is one of the greatest technology comebacks of all time. A century after Marconi's invention, the loud and clear message is that radio is still a massively popular format. It's thanks to the new generation of digital studios, currently one of our best selling products.'