https://marco.org/2008/11/20/sony-knew-the-economy-was-going-to-hell-back-in
Sony knew the economy was going to hell back in February. How? Camcorder sales fell like a rock. Camcorders are the proverbial canary in the coal mine, plunging before everything else. (All of their vast historical data over the last few recessions back this up.) It’s because, Vandenbree says, there’s “nothing more discretionary than camcorders,” so it’s the first to go when consumers feel a crunch, making it an early warning sign.
— Gizmodo quoting Jay Vandenbree, president of Sony Electronics Consumer Sales