mikej
Prominent Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2005
- Messages
- 4,501
- Reaction score
- 1,877
- Points
- 983
I was passing my nearest Currys store this afternoon so I popped in to check out the latest TVs on display and found, as I've read elsewhere, that there are no longer any Panasonic TVs on display at all. You can still buy them from Currys online, but you can't see them in store - at least not in my nearest store.
Now this is unlikely to bother a lot of people here as many forum users (myself included) prefer to buy their TVs elsewhere or are content with buying online without the need for a store visit, but I think it's fair to say that the typical AV Forums member is likely to be more of an enthusiast and probably doesn't represent the average TV buyer - the type who'll pop into Currys on a Saturday afternoon for a browse and maybe make a purchase. For those people, the long rows of huge Sony, Samsung and LG LCDs and OLEDs will be the main focus and only options to choose from... and Panasonic TVs will no longer be a consideration. Out of sight and out of mind.
Every one of my main TVs (since the late 90s) has been a Panasonic which means I'm obviously a fan and keen to see them continue, so my big concern is that if their TVs have disappeared from the shelves of one of the largest high-street electrical retailers in the UK, then they will start to become a niche, enthusiast's product and their days will be numbered.
I'd certainly be curious to know what lead to this situation and if it was Panasonic's decision, then saving a few quid by not having to produce store displays or hire the odd salesman would seem like an unnecessary gamble to me.
Does anyone else share the same thoughts ? Or do you think that internet shopping now dominates to such an extent that a high-street presence and store display no longer matters to a TV manufacturer ?
Now this is unlikely to bother a lot of people here as many forum users (myself included) prefer to buy their TVs elsewhere or are content with buying online without the need for a store visit, but I think it's fair to say that the typical AV Forums member is likely to be more of an enthusiast and probably doesn't represent the average TV buyer - the type who'll pop into Currys on a Saturday afternoon for a browse and maybe make a purchase. For those people, the long rows of huge Sony, Samsung and LG LCDs and OLEDs will be the main focus and only options to choose from... and Panasonic TVs will no longer be a consideration. Out of sight and out of mind.
Every one of my main TVs (since the late 90s) has been a Panasonic which means I'm obviously a fan and keen to see them continue, so my big concern is that if their TVs have disappeared from the shelves of one of the largest high-street electrical retailers in the UK, then they will start to become a niche, enthusiast's product and their days will be numbered.
I'd certainly be curious to know what lead to this situation and if it was Panasonic's decision, then saving a few quid by not having to produce store displays or hire the odd salesman would seem like an unnecessary gamble to me.
Does anyone else share the same thoughts ? Or do you think that internet shopping now dominates to such an extent that a high-street presence and store display no longer matters to a TV manufacturer ?