TV Demand Slumps Because We’re All Making Do With What We Already Have

TV in the living room, in the den, in the kitchen, the bathroom (no judgment) and in the family room? You’re not alone — for the first time, LCD TV sales are falling, along with other flat-screen models, partly because we’ve already got all the TVs we need.

Back around Thanksgiving, prices for LCD TVs — which make up 84% of the flat-screen market, according to CNNMoney — fell to the lowest prices ever. And now shipments of LCD units have declined for the first time ever, dropping 4% to 43 million units in the first quarter of 2012.

If things are suffering in LCD land, it’s even more bleak for other TV types likes plasma screens. Around the world, overall TV shipments fell 8% to 51 million units.

The reason no one is buying new TVs? Once we invest in a TV, or multiple TVs, most people stick with that model for longer than say, a smartphone or a laptop.

The deals we saw during Black Friday last year won’t likely crop up again this year, as analysts say fewer shipments of TVs means retailers won’t be in a hurry to offload products cheaply. Prices will likely slowly drop for consumers, eventually. But TV manufacturers will still have a hard time in this saturated market, unless they come up with something exciting and fantastic enough to entice owners to make a change.

LCD TV shipments decline for first time ever [CNNMoney]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.