Andre Yoskowitz
26 Dec 2009 21:19
It appears that giant retailer Wal-Mart’s aggressive Blu-ray sales over the last quarter has paid off, with the company now about tied with Best Buy for BD market share.
The numbers, via the NPD Group, show that Wal-Mart now commands 30 percent market share of Blu-ray disc sales, about even with Best Buy at 35 percent. In May, Wal-Mart had around 20 percent while Best Buy had an impressive 45 percent.
Despite usually having better prices than BB, Amazon and Target remained in third and fourth place, with about 15 percent and 10 percent respectively.
Overall, consumer spending on BD movies was up 83 percent year-on-year, and retail chains are actively fighting for market share.
“We’re seeing it as more of a horse race with Blu-ray,” adds Russ Crupnick, senior entertainment industry analyst for NPD, via VB. “I think Walmart has made a strong effort over the past year, being aggressive with price. They are very specifically targeting an untapped market. They are saying this isn’t just a high-tech product. It’s something that women and families can enjoy.”