HDTVs high on holiday shoppers’ 2009 lists, but purchase intent down from 2008

SCOTTSDALE, USA: Over the last two years, High Definition Televisions (HDTVs) ranked as the most desired consumer electronic (CE) product at the holiday season; and it was no different this year. HDTVs remain at the top of respondents’ holiday wish lists in 2009, according to In-Stat.

“Overall, CE products continue to top holiday wish lists, which is good news for retailers, CE manufacturers and suppliers. However, the downside is purchase intent has fallen from 2008. Our 2009 consumer survey reveals that the percentage of respondents who plan to purchase a CE device have declined within each CE market segment,” according to Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat Analyst. “In-Stat believes the economy is continuing to take a toll on consumer spending.”

For the fourth year in a row, In-Stat surveyed its proprietary Technology Adoption Panel about the different CE products they are considering for purchase this holiday season. The top products are:

* HDTVs
* Notebook PCs
* Digital cameras
* Blu-ray players
* Desktop PCs

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

* While not in the top five desired CE categories among respondents, the e-reader market is one of the hottest CE market segments right now. Amazon is the leader in the market with its expanding Kindle lineup; and the company has notably picked up its holiday marketing and advertising. With a slew of new market entrants and new e-reader models, e-reader sales could outperform expectations.
* The most desired feature in future e-readers is wireless connectivity.
* Approximately 40 percent of future PC purchasers state that a need for better performance is the key PC purchase criteria.