San Francisco – A new consumer poll shows that one out of
four shoppers are considering purchasing a new TV before the Super Bowl on Feb.
5, and 63 percent plan to spend more on the new set than their last.
Those are among the highlights of a recent consumer survey
by TechBargains.com, an online clearinghouse for CE shopping information. Its
Television Super Bowl poll also revealed that more than half (53 percent) of
consumers who do plan to buy a new TV want an LED-lit panel, and 59 percent
would prefer to watch the big game on state-of-the-art TV equipment rather than
experience it live from the stands.
A separate survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing
Association (RAMA) and BIGinsight puts the percentage of consumers who actually
intend to buy a TV for Super Bowl at 5.1 percent, or 5.1 million shoppers, up
from 4.5 million last year and 3.6 million in 2010.
“When it comes to the Super Bowl, consumers aren’t fazed by
an unstable economy,” said Yung Trang, president and editor in chief of
TechBargains.com. “They believe the best Super Bowl experience is at home, on a
tricked-out TV system. Consumers still
want the latest and greatest products, featuring the newest technology, and
they’re more than willing to spend the money on items that boost their
enjoyment of the game.”
Indeed, the survey results indicate that 8 percent of
consumers are regularly driven to buy TVs prior to the Super Bowl. Of those who bought a TV last year for the
game, 30 percent plan to buy another new TV for this year’s Giants-Patriots
contest, and 28 percent said they are considering a pre-Super Bowl purchase.
Among those who didn’t purchase a new TV for last year’s Super Bowl last year, 7
percent plan to purchase one prior to Feb. 5, and 18 percent are thinking about
it.
The survey also found that 72 percent of consumers believe
the size of a TV impacts how positive the Super Bowl viewing experience is, and
that of all features available for TVs, high resolution is the most important
when watching football, according to 60 percent of respondents.
“Bigger is better,” said
TechBargains.com editor Jeff Haynes. “The
reason people are spending more is they are upgrading the size of their
television. Consumers have moved from wanting televisions around 42 inches to
now buying 46 inches to 55 inches. The TV has become the centerpiece of the
American family room and the difference in just a few more inches is
noticeable.”
Shoppers are also increasingly choosing the online channel
for their pre-Super Bowl TV purchases. According to the poll, 67 percent of
those who plan to buy a new TV for the game expect to purchase it from an
e-tail site, compared with the 66 percent who bought their last TV in a
brick-and-mortar store.
Other survey results show that:
-
the majority (32 percent) own TVs that are 1-2
year old;
-
the majority (40 percent) own a 40-inch to
49-inch TV;
-
the majority (38 percent) plan to spend $500 to $999
on their new TV; and
-
the majority (45 percent) own an LCD TV,
followed by 20 percent with LED sets, 16 percent with plasma displays and 3
percent with 3DTVs. Fully 12 percent said they don’t own an HDTV.
TechBargains.com, which monitors street prices, said shoppers
can expect to find deep discounts on TVs in the days leading up to Super Bowl. LG’s
60-inch 60PV450 plasma was selling for a low $799 on Jan. 20, a price last seen
on Black Friday, the website reported, while promotional prices for 40-inch LCD
TVs have dropped 24 percent year over year from an average $589 to an average
$446.
In addition, LG has launched a separate
,
are offering special pricing on 60-inch, 70-inch and 80-inch
LCD LEDs, and Panasonic has lowered the MAP of its opening price point 60-inch
plasma display to $1,099.
