Almost half of Finns consider buying flat-panel TV or digibox for Christmas

print this

According to a survey carried out by Statistics Finland, 46 percent of Finnish consumers think the time is favourable for buying consumer durables. Households still have plenty of spending intentions on home improvements and entertainment electronics, among other things.
     
According to the Association of Electronics Wholesalers, Finns have been particularly enthusiastic about flat-panel televisions and digital accessory devices this year. Almost 17,000 flat-panel TVs have been sold already over the period from January through October. Compared with last year, the increase was 240 percent. Soaring sales are expected to continue through the Christmas season.
      On the other hand, the sales figures of expensive flat-panel TVs are not even close to the number of ordinary widescreen televisions. The number of widescreen TVs delivered to dealers in the period of January through October was close to 103,000.
     
The sales of digital accessory devices have increased by almost 200 percent in the course of the current year. The total sales of digiboxes (enabling reception of digital TV transmissions) for the current year are expected to amount to half a million by the end of December. This would mean that about a million Finnish households would have a digital accessory device by then.
      By the end of October, the number of new digital accessory devices sold was just half of the projected total, but the sales are expected to escalate in November-December.
      For next year, the sales forecasts for digital accessory devices are of the order of 700,000.
     
The electronics trade sector is expecting a busy Christmas season. According to the estimates of the Association of Electronics Wholesalers, the sales of home electronics will amount to about EUR 1.7 billion by the end of the current year.
      Traditionally, sales of home electronics equipment have doubled in December compared with other months of the year. Even the sales figures for mobile phones will double before Christmas. The Managing Director of the Association of Electronics Wholesalers Pentti Karhu believes that various sales offers will stimulate the Christmas sales of mobile phones once again this year.
      Typically about 200,000 mobile phones have been sold in December.
     
Also home computers, laptops in particular, broadband ADSL interfaces, and digital cameras are believed to be among the favourite Christmas products.
      On the other hand, the November interviews for the Consumer Survey carried out by Statistics Finland also suggest that the Finns’ confidence in saving possibilities has improved clearly from the previous month - although this seems rather contradictory in the face of such enthusiastic "large price-tag" buying intentions.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Industrial confidence improving, consumers more cautious (1.12.2003)

Links:
  Statistics Finland
  The Association of Electronics Wholesalers

Helsingin Sanomat