The 2009 economic recession had negative impacts on consumer spending. iRobot domestic sales of robots vacuum cleaners, predominantly the Roomba, were down comparable to other USD 400 discretionary purchases, and its international sales also experienced a slowdown. In additional to lower consumer demand, the national and international credit crunches led to a scarcity of credit, tighter lending standards, and higher interest rate on consumer and business loans. Continued disruptions in credit markets may limit consumer credit availability and impact robot sales