A relatively hefty portion of the deep discounts on HD sets and Blu-ray players that were launched on Black Friday continue into this week—and perhaps for weeks to come—as retailers attempt to move product in greater volume, despite smaller profit margins for all concerned.
(Also, analysts widely speculate that past sales could be quickly reinstated if shoppers do a lot more browsing than purchasing in the next couple of weeks.)
The troubled economy is not the only factor contributing to some steep HD price cuts this month. Faced with too few HD sets in some sections of the country a year ago (LCD, DLP and plasma) because of under-estimating demand, most makers grew their output this time around.
However, by the time it was clear that a sharp economic downturn was going to hit the American economy earlier this fall, it was too late to effectively cut back on the increased output at most assembly plants.
While huge so-called “doorbuster” price cuts have rarely returned after Black Friday in past years, some major brands like Sharp are not certain what may happen in the weeks ahead, according to the Wall Street Journal. Some major retailers like Walmart have promised to cut unspecified electronics (and other) products on a week-to-week basis through Dec. 25. Other big-box stores may follow suit.
Some big outlets such as Best Buy maintained virtually all of their Black Friday HD/Blu-ray price breaks through Sunday, Nov. 30. And for the first time, Best Buy is extending its 18-month no-interest financing deals to its card-carrying customers for nearly all products (HD and otherwise) of $500 or more for the entire sales season. Some Best Buy customers with good credit are getting no-interest payment deals on HD products for as long as 30 months, as well.
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