Sunnyvale, Calif. – Things are
looking up for Blu-ray player sales this holiday season but manufacturers may
have to take further steps to ensure robust holiday sell-through, according to
a new Retrevo Pulse combined data study
posted Monday.
The consumer electronics shopping market
research site, which maintains data and consumer focus studies on top-selling device
categories, has found that almost 40 percent of the most popular DVD
player models on the market heading into the holiday shopping season are
Blu-ray players, compared with only 15 percent this time last year.
At the same time,
pricing on Blu-ray players has fallen an average of 35 percent, which are
helping to boost interest in the format,
But to drive sales
further Retrevo is offering the following advice arising from recent consumer
surveys to Blu-ray Disc player vendors and manufacturers:
Lower prices
further. The study found that 34 percent of the respondents said $150 was the
most they’d pay for a player. “Selling off a bunch of old Profile 1.5 players
on Black Friday is one thing; getting the price point on a good quality Profile
2.0 player under $150 is another thing,” the firm pointed out.
Increase consumer
education. Approximately 49 percent of those recently surveyed by Retrevo Pulse
said they had never seen a movie in Blu-ray high definition. Another 18 percent
would need some good arguments in favor of Blu-ray. This was an indication they
had seen a Blu-ray movie but were not impressed enough to buy, the study said.
Target marketing efforts
at specific demographic segments. Retrevo said 62 percent of seniors thought
regular DVDs are all they need, as did 26 percent of middle age consumers (age
25 to 34). “The younger crowd is aware of Blu-ray and knows what a difference
it can make. So whether you take that as a marketing challenge to raise
awareness among seniors or appeal to the already more sympathetic younger
generations, you still have your work cut out for you,” the report stated.
Ensure the
availability of Blu-ray Disc software, where possible.
“Right now,
Blu-ray is one of the only ways to deliver FullHD, 1080p programming and HD
audio to the increasing numbers of HDTVs showing up in living rooms all around
the world,” the Retrevo report sated. “Lower prices and some good old fashioned
marketing could turn the tide in Blu-ray’s favor.”
The Retrevo Pulse
Report provides data about what consumers are buying, and what they are going
to buy. Retrevo.com, the consumer electronics shopping site, observes and
analyzes user behavior of more than 4 million users to discover activities and
trends.
