Retrevo: Blu-ray Shoppers Want Further Price Cuts For Holidays

By Greg Tarr

Sunnyvale, Calif.— Things are looking up for Blu-ray player sales this holiday season but manufacturers may have to take further steps to ensure robust holiday sell-through, according to a new Retrevo Pulse combined data study posted last week.

The consumer electronics shopping market research site, which maintains data and consumer focus studies on top-selling device categories, has found that almost 40 percent of the most popular DVD player models on the market heading into the holiday shopping season are Blu-ray players, compared with only 15 percent this time last year.

At the same time, pricing on Blu-ray players has fallen an average of 35 percent, which are helping to boost interest in the format,

But to drive sales further Retrevo is offering the following advice arising from recent consumer surveys to Blu-ray Disc player vendors and manufacturers:

Lower prices further. The study found that 34 percent of the respondents said $150 was the most they'd pay for a player. “Selling off a bunch of old Profile 1.5 players on Black Friday is one thing; getting the price point on a good quality Profile 2.0 player under $150 is another thing,” the firm pointed out.

Increase consumer education. Approximately 49 percent of those recently surveyed by Retrevo Pulse said they had never seen a movie in Blu-ray high definition. Another 18 percent would need some good arguments in favor of Blu-ray. This was an indication they had seen a Blu-ray movie but were not impressed enough to buy, the study said.

Target marketing efforts at specific demographic segments. Retrevo said 62 percent of seniors thought regular DVDs are all they need, as did 26 percent of middle age consumers (age 25 to 34). “The younger crowd is aware of Blu-ray and knows what a difference it can make. So whether you take that as a marketing challenge to raise awareness among seniors or appeal to the already more sympathetic younger generations, you still have your work cut out for you,” the report stated.

Ensure the availability of Blu-ray Disc software, where possible.

The Retrevo Pulse Report provides data about what consumers are buying, and what they are going to buy. Retrevo.com, the consumer electronics shopping site, observes and analyzes user behavior of more than 4 million users to discover activities and trends.

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