Retail Prices Already Dropping on Some Samsung 3D TVs

The first 3D TVs have barely hit retail, but price cutting has begun. Though retailers only began stocking 3D TVs during the past two weeks, Vann’s and Best Buy Web sites Tuesday already were promoting Samsung’s 46-inch UN46C7000 and the 55-inch UN55C7000 at $2,339 and $2,969, down from $2,599 and $3,299.

Both 1080p sets feature Samsung’s Internet@TV service, LED backlighting and 240 Hz panels. The TVs didn’t appear to be paired with an instant or mail-in rebate so it wasn’t clear whether the price moves were sanctioned by Samsung. Jonas Tanenbaum, Samsung’s vice president for LCD TV marketing, said Tuesday he won’t comment on “any dealer’s price."

Most retailers we polled received the first Samsung 3D TVs last week. Best Buy, Vann’s, Brandsmart and other websites began promoting the sets last weekend. Nebraska Furniture Mart is going to hold off a print, broadcast and marketing push until early April until it has better stock of the sets, CE Merchandise Manager Mark Shaw said.

Best Buy also was carrying a derivative 50-inch Panasonic 3D set ($2,599) in 200 to 300 Magnolia stores-within-a-store, said a source familiar with the program. It sold through an initial small delivery, the source said. The 50-inch set went on sale in the Magnolia section of Best Buy’s Union Square store in New York City on March 10 and only reached the other locations last weekend. Most retailers said they don’t expect to start getting Panasonic 3D-ready TVs until mid-April, about the time when Sony starts delivering its 3D TVs.

Brandsmart, one retailer that reported having Samsung 3D TV sets in stock, was experiencing “extremely active” sales, President Michael Perlman said. Still, the technology requires a demonstration and Brandsmart is delaying heavy promotion until it has more models in stock, he said. Other merchants groused because they were still awaiting delivery of the first models. “Everybody else got product and I'm not the happiest guy in the world,” said Steve Weiner, senior vice president at Listen Up in Denver. “We're getting some queries from customers, but not a ton. There is definitely interest and it’s only going to build because the marketing money is rolling down the hill on it.”