SAN DIEGO – The number of HDTV retail placements did not see a huge change between the beginning of 2013 and the end of the year, according to retail placement data compiled by Gap Intelligence.
Gap said it observed that TV retail shelf placements contracted by 4 percent over the course of the year.
Also in the year, the number of placements from smaller, low-budget brands (Coby, Haier, Westinghouse, etc.) shrank to only 15 percent of overall TV retail placements from 20 percent in January, according to the firm.
“This change indicates that fewer brands are being represented in stores, but that some of the name brands are increasing their shelf share,” said Deirdre Kennedy, Gap TV display category analyst. “We can see that sales leaders Samsung, LG, and Vizio all increased their shelf share by 1 to 2 percent over the course of the year, while Sharp and Sony held steady.”
Gap said Panasonic saw its share drop by onethird from the beginning of the year, “which could spell trouble for the company in 2014 when it discontinues its plasma TVs.”
HDTV prices for each manufacturer increased by an average of 6.5 percent from the beginning of the year to the end, likely caused by an increase in placements for TVs 60 inches and larger, and a decline in smaller screen sizes, according to the market research firm.
