The basic stats
UK sales of large-screen (26in-plus) LCD TV sets and 37in-plus plasma models have grown massively in the year to May 2005 according to figures gathered by the highly-respected research organisation GfK Marketing Services.
For 26in-plus LCD sets, the volume increase was estimated to be more than eight-fold. GfK says that close to 260,000 such LCD models were shifted, valued at over £360m. That compares with around 31,000 (worth about £87m) in the preceding 12 months. This huge volume growth looks to have gone hand-in-hand with (more accurately, to have been driven by) the availability of a wider selection of more affordable models.
The average price for the year fell by nearly 40 per cent, from around £2,300 a set to a little under £1,400. And, of course, that is an average over a 12-month period - it doesn't accurately reflect pricing today. It's possible, right now, to buy 26in LCD TV sets for under £800 and to get 32in models for under £1,000.
The average price for plasma sets of 37in and larger was also down markedly in the 12 months to the end of May – falling by about a third, from the near £3,300 average of the preceding period to about £2,200. This helped volumes to more than treble, with the market growing from around 63,000 units to nigh on 200,000.
Those sales were worth a staggering £430m – up from £204m - pushing the total value for these two sectors alone towards the £1billion mark, though not quite reaching it.
As with LCD, the 12-month average-price for plasma doesn't accurately reflect today's prices - 37in plasma models can be had for less than £1,300 and 42in variants for under £1,500.
