TV sales boom a week before football World Cup

Hoang Thinh, 32, who was leaving an electronics store on Nguyen Trai Street, Hanoi, on November 22, said he had just bought a 65-inch TV to watch the World Cup.

“I first considered buying a new one because of doing a lot of things at the end of the year and having limited financial capacity,” he said.

Early figures from some supermarkets and electronics stores show a boom in TV sales in the last few days.

Le Quang Vu, general director of electronics supermarket chain MediaMart, said TV sales have increased by nearly 60% from last week, especially on the opening day of the World Cup.

“With the 2018 World Cup, we saw sales surge a month before the opening ceremony, especially a week before the event began. However, this year is different.”

Nguyen Lac Huy of CellphoneS said TV sales last weekend were nearly 70% higher than at the beginning of November.

Besides, consumers’ demands have also changed, he said.

The most popular this year are 55-65-inch TVs while 40-50 was best-selling four years ago, he said.

The 65-inch segment with prices of VND13-15 million is the bestseller at most places. “TV sales for this World Cup are not equal to 2018, but the revenues are slightly better,” Vu said.

The owner of an electronics store in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, said the reason why many people bought TVs late had to do with promotion programs. “Only last week some brands ran a program for the World Cup. They offered a 20% discount and many gifts.”

Many customers also opted for large TVs of up to 70 inches, which were considered oversized in the past.

Brands such as Samsung, LG, Coex, and Xiaomi reported strong growth in sales.

Projector sales have also soared. MediaMart reported growth of about 20% with Epson, Sony and Panasonic being the top sellers.

Cellphones reported that sales of projectors, mainly Samsung and Xiaomi, have tripled over normal days.

Prices in the most popular segment are VND8-15 million ($320-$600).