Following the margin drubbing they took during the holidays, retailers are focusing on interest-free promotions in their Super Bowl TV promotions rather than price.
Indeed, while pricing on flat-panel and microdisplay sets has largely held to post-Black Friday levels, the competition in extended payment plans is heating up. Best Buy took the lead with a 36-month, no-interest offer on TV and home theater purchases totaling $999 or more, while Circuit City promoted 24 months of interest-free payments on all TVs $499 and up.
Both chains also guaranteed delivery and installation before kickoff on all TVs sized 37W-inches and higher that were purchased by Jan. 28 (Circuit City) or Jan. 30 (Best Buy).
