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TV sales likely to drop this holiday season

Andrea Gardner Nov 25, 2011

Jeremy Hobson: Consumers are looking for value today. And among the most discounted items you’ll find on the shelves this year are TV sets.

Andrea Gardner explains why.


Andrea Gardner: 2011 hasn’t been a banner year for the television set. The down economy has trumped new technology like 3D and Internet-ready TV — features that retailers hoped would spur demand.

Andy Fitzpatrick is an analyst with Hinsdale Associates.

Andy Fitzpatrick: The retailers were hoping that, of course, the Super Bowl would generate interest and that really didn’t materialize.

With extra inventory on the shelf, retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are going aggressive with deep discounts.

Paul Gagnon researches electronics with DisplaySearch. He says that’s what it takes to sell TVs in this economy.

Paul Gagnon: Getting the most screen size for the buck is the order of the day for the holidays.

Gagnon says TV prices will be down an average of 20 percent this holiday season. And today, some have been discounted up to 60 percent. But by this time, I bet those are already long gone.

I’m Andrea Gardner for Marketplace.

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