GfK who are having to second guess their consumer electronics and IT research data in Australia after JB Hi Fi and Retravision WA refused them access to sales data has estimated that 140,000 large screen TVs were sold during the World Cup period of May to June 2010.
Currently GFK is estimating JB Hi Fi sales data based on past sales, despite the fact that JB Hi Fi is selling up to 25 per cent of all TVs sold in Australia. They are also failing to count TVs sold via the likes of Big W, who in the past has been responsible for significant sales of below 40 inch flat panel TVs including a 50 inch plasma TV that earlier this year was selling for sub $1,000.
Impacting the accuracy of GFK data is the release of new LED TVs sold via JB Hi Fi. Early in 2009 very few LED TVs with the exception of Samsung models were sold in Australia. Now several manufacturers are selling LED TVs via JB Hi Fi and Retravision WA.
According to competing research companies, GFK data can no longer be trusted to be an accurate source of information. One source who did not want to be named said: “In the IT and consumer electronics market JB HI Fi is a major contributor to sales and to not have access to their data is okay for the first six months. After that they are guessing despite how much modelling is done,” they said.
“During the past six months JB HI Fi has expanded their Smartphone offering, they are also a key seller of notebooks and netbooks particularly Apple products. None of this is being counted other than from information vendors are supplying as sell in data. The same applies with Big W and several other retailers who are now selling a lot more consumer electronic products than they did 12 months ago”.
“Last week GFK said that the average selling price of flat panel TVs had dropped. This in part is caused by organisations like Big W selling low priced flat panel TVs. We have also seen several Chinese brands enter the market via channels not measured by GFK”.
GfK also reported a 33 per cent drop in average sales price: down to $1,400 per panel from $2,100 for the same period last year.
The German research company also said that between May to June 2010 that a quarter of all TV sales were non-Full HD models.
Although the major suppliers are restricting their release of HD TVs to the smaller sizes, 25 per cent of consumers are still choosing to buy the older technology when purchasing large sizes.
