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14
AUGUST 22, 1960
Consumex* Electronics ....
MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, HNANCE
UPGRADIMG TV PRODUCT — THE PAYOFF: Emphasis on TV quality, furniture styling,
new screen sizes is now showing up in sales figures. On basis of statistics available to date, we can now predict that 1960 will see:
(1) Highest average TV set price since 1953, probably around $150 at the factory — up smartly from last year's $144.
(2) Highest proportion of console TV sales since 1953.
(3) Highest proportion of TV-phono combination sales since 1953.
(4) Portables & table models comprising less than 50% of TV sales for first time since 1953.
There's also good chance that dollar volume of factory TV sales will be best since 1955, even though unit sales ore extremely unlikely to match 1956's 7.4 million.
• • • •
Average factory price of a TV set for first 5 months of this year was $138.01, nearly $5 better than the $133.05 registered for same 1959 period. Since average imit price of TV goes up in last half of year, figxire of around $150 is not rmreasonable (last year's average unit price was $141 for full year). For comparison, here's recap of average TV set unit factory price for each full year from 1947 through 1959:
1947 $280
1950
$180
1953
$170
1956 $127
1948 $235
1951
$177
1954
$140
1957 $130
1949 $193
1952
$172
1955
$138
1958 $136
1959 $141
Consoles & combinations already are having their best year since 1953—
-spang in the middle of the
portable season. For first 6 months of
1960, consoles
6t combos accoimted for 46% of retail TV sales, com
pared with less than 36% just a year ago. Here's how cabinet types stack up at retail counters for first half
of this year vs. same year-ago period
in terms of percentage of total:
Table & Portable
Console
TV-Phono Comb.
1960
54.0%
33.4%
2.4%
1959
64.2%
42.9%
3.1%
Here are numerical figures for first-half 1960
retail sales (year-ago comparisons in parentheses):
Total, 2,657,527 (2,263,957); table & portable, 1,433,885 (1,453,231);
console, 1,141,082 (756,622); combo, 82,560
(54,104).
Percentage breakdown of consumer TV purchases by cabinet type for full years 1953-1959:
Table & Portable Console
TV-Phono Comb.
1953
46%
51%
3%
1954
55%
43%
2%
1955
57%
41%
2%
1956
64%
35%
1%
1957
60%
38%
2%
1958
56%
41%
3%
1959
57%
40%
3%
Traditionally heavier console sales in fall should push 1960 percentage close to 1953 s mark giving hefty boost to TV dollar sales. But this year, 2 added factors will be acting to spur 2nd-half sales prices sUll higher: (1) Intensified selling campaign for combos, sparked by heavy increase in offered sets. (2) Accelerating emphasis on 19 & 23-in. sets, more expensive than their 17 & 21-in. counterparts.