- Citi Mortgage Reveals What Treasury Won't
- S&P to Hit 1,200 by Year-End: Chief Investor
- Amended Berkshire Hathaway Filing Indicates No Secret Stock Stakes at End of Q3
- Facebook's Biggest-Ever Holiday Shopping Season
- Facebook's New Dual Class Structure - Slow Steps to an IPO
- 5 Big Bank Stocks Investors Should Consider: Strategists
- Gambling Drunk, Texting to Live And America's On Sale - Your Emails
- Nov. 24: Unusual Volume Leaders
- NBA D-League On The Rise
- Americans Ditch Planes for Trains this Thanksgiving
- AIG Board OKs CEO Pay; Benmosche Agrees to Stay
- Half of Banks' Losses May Still Be Hidden: IMF Head
- Obama Reiterates Commitment to Boost US-India Ties
- FDIC's Bair Cautions on Risks in Bank Break-Up Plan
- Wednesday's Economic News Crunch Could Tilt Markets
- Call Me Crazy: Confessions of a Black Friday Shopper
- Turkey Day 101: How Well Do You Know Your Bird?
- Citi Mortgage Reveals Something the US Treasury Won't
MOST SHARED
- Wednesday's Economic News Crunch Could Tilt Markets
- The 'Real' Jobless Rate: 17.5% Of Workers Are Unemployed
- Obama Reiterates Commitment to Boost US-India Ties
- NBA D-League On The Rise
- The Social Media Gaming Threat
- Australia Wheat Exporters Face Challenges: GrainCorp
- Japan Export Rebound Eases Fear of New Recession
- Stifling Anger at Work Can Kill, Survey Finds
ABOUT THIS BLOG
|
This blog will look at the winners and losers in the retail space. Who has the right strategy to capture consumer dollars? It also will look for trends in consumer spending and how that will impact the economy.
Text Size 
This economic slowdown couldn’t come at a worse time for retailers and electronics manufacturers — The holidays are typically their biggest earnings period.
 |
garmin.com Tough times may lead to some good deals on gadgets and other consumer electronics this year. |
But you know what that means: Sales!
Several analysts say with consumers cutting back and weak projections for business spending, there could be some good deals on consumer-technology products this holiday season.
"We’re definitely seeing the trend lean toward prices coming down," says Doug Bell, an analyst with the research firm IDC.
Analysts say we could start seeing some aggressive electronics promotions later this month — definitely by early November.
"You want to get people to buy earlier rather than later — especially in this kind of environment. Nobody knows what’s going to happen in six weeks," says Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at NPD Group.
And, consumers have sent the message to retailers loud and clear: Sales and promotions were the No. 1 reason shoppers cited for where they choose to shop this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
It will likely be a shoppers' market but let the buyer beware: If you're waiting for a big sale on an Apple iPhone or Sony 50-inch flat-screen TV, it might not happen.
Analysts say the best deals this year will be on entry-level items with fewer features made by manufacturers you've probably never heard of — not the big names.
Indeed, Wal-Mart (www.walmart.com) has an entertainment-system package consisting of a 32-inch plasma TV and DVD player for less than $550.
Televisions could turn out to be one of the bright spots this season, NPD says, because the digital-conversion deadline is coming in February and prices are coming down.
Bell says this could be the year of the low-cost notebook computer, which start at $250 and up. They’re perfect for a second or third computer in the home, for a more mobile option or for the cost-conscious consumer, he says.
GPS devices and digital-photo frames were some of the best door-buster sales on "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving, last year. These categories still have a lot of growth potential and they appeal to cash-strapped consumers, so maybe they’ll make a repeat performance this year.
Right now, Wal-Mart is offering a 7-inch pink digital-picture frame for $42 and Geeks.com (www.geeks.com) has portable GPS devices as low as $65.
Of course, the deals always get better as it gets closer to the holidays, so keep your holiday-deal tracker on at all times!
Recent Holiday-Central Posts:
- Reader Mail: Being Thrifty Is Nifty
- Sticking to the 'Bear' Essentials
- A Blue, Blue Christmas for Retailers
- Halloween May Be a Treat for Retailers
- Fantasy Gift: Immortalized in Lego
- Slideshow: Blinging in the Holidays
- Santa Sitting With the Pumpkins
Questions? Comments?
- Remember when auto shows were major events where new models could generate buzz?
- CNBC’s Mike Huckman visits a cutting-edge plant to see how the flu vaccine of the future is being made.
- People who bottle up their anger at work are up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack, a study found.
- Playboy will outsource its publishing operations in a bid to become profitable again.
- A new McDonald's in Manhattan is the nation's first to sport a sleek, chic interior imported from stores in London and Paris.
- For nearly three decades, these on-call experts have been dishing advice on how to – and not to – cook turkey.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes