TVs, Laptops Top Black Friday Shopping Lists: Survey
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 11/24/2009
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Nearly a third of Black Friday CE shoppers said they'll be braving long lines and the wee hours in pursuit of an HDTV, while more than one out of five hope to come home with a notebook computer.
That's the word from Retrevo, a CE shopping and review site, which polled more than 1,100 visitors between Nov. 13 and Nov. 22.
Some 30 percent said they would be looking for a TV the day after Thanksgiving, followed by 22 percent who said they would be searching for a deal on new laptop. Game consoles and MP3 players were lowest on the shopping list, at 10 percent and 9 percent, respectively, while GPS and Blu-ray Disc players were tied, with less than half as many shoppers looking for these products as new TVs (14 percent).
Of those planning to shop in stores Black Friday morning, 18 percent said they will spend more than $1,000 on CE, compared with 22 percent of online shoppers with a comparable budget. The majority of respondents (36 percent in stores, 30 percent online) said they plan to spend $200 to $500 on CE items this Friday.
Only 18 percent of respondents said they would hit the bricks, while 22 percent said they would shop online. Reasons for avoiding brick-and-mortar stores ranged from "too much trouble" (18 percent) to "can't afford it" (12 percent), although only 4 percent cited a more limited selection than e-commerce sites.
Of those who did make the early-morning trek to retail stores last year, 24 percent were able to snag the sale item they sought, and 48 percent bought additional items beyond what they were looking for, which bodes well for dealers.
But retailers should also consider a possible backlash from disappointed customers who are unable to find limited-quantity doorbusters. Nine percent of Black Friday shoppers said they were unable to get the sales item they wanted last year and bought something else instead, while 19 percent left empty handed.
Retrevo is a comparison shopping site that tracks trends, pricing and demand for CE products online in real time, and provides consumers with reviews, product specs, manuals and purchase advice.
CE Helps Draw Bigger Black Friday Crowds
11/30/2009Holiday Sales Start Slow And Steady: NPD
12/17/2006Larger BF Turnout Expected: NRF
11/24/2009
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
