Rich Fiscus
3 Nov 2007 17:37
After upstart flat panel television manufacturer Vizio stunned the consumer electronics world by shipping more flat panel televisions in the U.S. than any other vendor in the second quarter of this year, market analysis firm DisplaySearch says they've slipped to second place in the third quarter behind Samsung.
Samsung, the leader prior to Vizio's move, managed to take back the top spot due to sales of both LCD and plasma displays. While Vizio is number 2 in LCD sales, they're not even in top 5 when it comes to plasma.
Another likely factor was the sudden spike in shipments earlier this year that gave Vizio the lead. Since these numbers are based on units shipped to retailers rather than sold to consumers, the increase earlier in the year was partly a move to stock up for future sales. In order for third quarter shipments to maintain that high level, third quarter sales would likely have had to keep rising. Still second place is still a notable achievement.
Since Vizio primarily caters to discount club buyers, while traditional TV manufacturers like Samsung, Sharp, and Sony have a big presence in retailers like Walmart and Target, analysts expect Vizio's position to fall again in the fourth quarter. While discount club sales tend to be rather flat during the year, traditional retailers see a significant increase during the Christmas season.
Source: Cnet News