Traditional Retailers Get Higher ASPs Online on Select Tech Items, Says NPD

Consumers prioritize tech spending differently by age group, NPD reported Friday, saying shoppers 18-34 are willing to pay top dollar for notebook PCs and headphones but lower prices for LCD TVs. Average sales prices by that demographic were 17 percent higher than those for shoppers ages 35-53 and 13 percent higher than those 55 and older, it said. But 18-34-year-olds are choosing LCD TVs at a slightly lower price point than customers 35 and older, it said, with an ASP lower than 35-54-year-olds and 6 percent lower than the 55 and older segment. “Younger consumers continue to see extraordinary value in PCs and remain committed to buying the best PC they can afford,” said analyst Stephen Baker, while in TVs, overall ASP declines have allowed all consumers to buy larger sets with more enhanced features than in the past. All consumers are shopping online for value and traditional retailers have been able to apply successful in-store models to their online business “to compete effectively in product and price with online retailers,” he said. All three age groups consistently buy headphones, notebooks, LCD TVs, and tablets with a higher ASP through traditional retailer websites than through pure-play online retailer sites, said Baker, noting the ASP of headphones bought by each age group through traditional retailer websites was more than double that of those bought through pure-play online retailers. For the 12 months ending March 31, traditional retailer websites comprised 44 percent of online U.S. CE dollar sales for those items, he said. Overall online tech spending grew 10 percent year on year in the 12-month period ending March 31, said the research firm.