Logitech exits OEM mouse production
Logitech shared that their quarterly operating profit fell 34 percent, mainly due to a shrinking demand for accessories like the computer mouse. The mice and keyboard business are declining, Logitech said it will exit a low-margin business that mainly makes computer mice for PC makers to sell as their own.
Logitech will be increasing prices outside the US to compensate for the currency declines, espoecially the USD - EURO conversion is expensive. For European customers this means price increases of up-to 13 percent across the board.
It reported operating profit of $14.5 million for the quarter ended March 31, compared to $21.8 million a year ago, due to pockets of sales strength, lower costs and fewer restructuring charges. Net sales in the March quarter fell 4.7 percent to $467.2 million, at the high of estimates.
Logitech has at best managed slow sales growth for six of the past seven years. However, underlying demand for new products and action to cut costs and raise prices are positioning it for sustained growth in coming years, it said.
Shares of the Lausanne-based company traded up 2.2 percent at midday on the Zurich stock exchange, following the report.
Once Logitech exits the declining computer mouse manufacturing business, underlying sales results from are set to show sustained sales growth in constant currency terms, Chief Executive Bracken Darrell said in an interview.
"This (retail business) is going to be the bulk of our business going forward," Darrell said. "What we are announcing today is the simplifying of our story."
Excluding currency swings, sales nudged up 1 percent. Logitech's retail business, which generates 90 percent of sales, grew 7 percent in constant currency. Importantly, newer growth categories on which it is betting its future business, grew 45 percent and now make up nearly one-third of its retail business.
Darrell, who has moved Logitech into new product lines while cutting costs in older product areas, said Logitech was prepared to increase prices to offset currency declines.
"We are raising prices around the world," Darrell told Reuters, referring to markets outside the United States. The price increases will take effect in this quarter," he said.
The CEO said he believes the company commands pricing power in many of its accessory lines including what is now its best-selling product line -- wireless Bluetooth speakers. It plans to raise prices around 11 to 13 percent in Europe, for example.
More than half of Logitech's costs and expenses are in U.S. dollars and roughly 10 percent are in Swiss francs while it relies on suppliers in Asia, where currencies have been stable, to source most of its hardware. (1 Swiss franc = $1.0314) (Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Keith Weir)
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Senior Member
Posts: 1521
Joined: 2007-03-18
Check the news. All reputable mouse companies have increased their prices, be it Logitech, Steelseries, Razer, Cyborg, Corsair, you name it.
I had a G500 for which I paid 50EUR. 5 years of usage have taken their toll on the mouse and started having clicking problems (aaand there's also the fact that I got pissed and ****ed up the scroll button by punching it but that's something else). So I basically bought the logical solution, G500s (its successor) for which I paid 80EUR. That's quite a bit more.
Is it worth it? Probably, yeah. Considering a mouse like this lasts for at least 5 years (had an MX518 for 7 years), it's still worth it imo.
well yea, that's my point. My MX310 is still alive with some small issues but every other logi I bought after 2005 lasted 2 years tops.

Senior Member
Posts: 1238
Joined: 2012-05-22
I was half asleep when i saw that title and almost made that same mistake thinking they're leaving the mouse market entirely. I've used logitech mice for over 20 years and have zero desire to buy other brands. Had they actually left the business, I would probably have bought 3-4 mice I really like and put them away since no matter how hard I try, I can't bring myself to like any other brands.
edit: I just checked their site and noticed a mouse i've never seen before. Looks nice... http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/mx-master?crid=7
Senior Member
Posts: 7175
Joined: 2005-12-02
Actually on a technical level they're currently the best (G502/G303).
Sales aren't reflecting it though. Deathadder is actually one of the best sold mice (which was actually Razer's answer to the MX518).
Senior Member
Posts: 8396
Joined: 2007-08-07
Once upon a time, I used to love Logitech and did own many of their high end mice including G8, G9 and MX series...
However, there is a lot of competition and Logitech aren't as good as they used to be, unfortunately.
That said, I would still rank them in the best 3 mice available...
There is fierce competition from others such as Razer & Corsair.
Senior Member
Posts: 7412
Joined: 2006-09-24
Silly DPI numbers. I wonder if those have even proper sensors for that stuff or if it's done via weird methods resulting in subpar performance in high DPI settings like it a lot of times is.