News Analysis
Holidays Could Be Hell For TV
Makers
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (October 19,
2011) -- It's been a tough year
for TV makers and a TVPredictions.com poll and other surveys
suggest it could get even tougher this holiday season.
Asked if they planned to buy a HDTV this holiday season, 60.7
percent of our readers said no in an online poll taken here last
week. Only 21.7 percent said yes while 17.6 percent said they
weren't sure.
The dismal numbers follow an equally depressing survey result
last week from the Ipsos organization. The company found that 45
percent of consumers plan to spend less this year compared to
the 2010 holiday season. Only 11 percent said they would spend
more.
While the survey did not specifically address consumers' plans
for HDTVs and CE products, the overall numbers would suggest
that people will keep a tight grip on their wallets this year.
Of course, for TV makers, this is just an additional topping of
bad news. Thanks to the sluggish economy -- and consumers'
lukewarm reception to new 3D TVs -- sales of new HDTVs have been
flat this year. In the first quarter, sales of LCD sets even
fell, albeit by 3.5 percent.
TV makers, and their CE retail partners, have been hoping that
the holiday season would help turn the year around. But if the
surveys reflect reality, that may not happen.
Consequently, I think you'll see TV makers slash prices even
further than expected during the holiday shopping season. And,
if they are smart, they will continue to downplay the 3D
features of new sets and focus instead on how great the HD
picture is.
Almost 18 percent of our survey respondents said they are not
sure if they will buy a new set this holiday season; the TV
makers better give them a good reason why they should.
