Bentonville, Ark. — Wal-Mart has cut prices on select HDTVs by $100 this week as part of a Super Bowl price promotion.
Among the targeted models is a 32-inch Samsung LCD TV that is being offered at its Black Friday price of $498. Wal-Mart has also cut the retail of a 46-inch Sony LCD by $100 to $1,298, and is including a $100 Wal-Mart gift card with its purchase.
The retailer is also selling half-time performer Bruce Springsteen’s “Greatest Hits” CD for the reduced price of $10.
The promotion went into effect yesterday.
Despite the price rollbacks, Wal-Mart and other CE retailers are facing a tough sell this season. According to the 2009 Super Bowl Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA), only 2.7 percent of consumers say they intend to purchase a TV in advance of the big game, compared to 4.1 percent a year ago.
“With the economy on everyone’s mind, most Super Bowl viewers will tone down their plans this year,” observed RAMA executive director Mike Gatti. “Retailers will be featuring promotions on everything from televisions to potato chips with the hopes of bringing in sales in the midst of a difficult environment.”
The survey of 8,850 consumers was conducted from Jan. 1-8, 2009 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent. RAMA is a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF), a trade association of over 1,500 retail marketing and advertising executives.
