The weak economy here in the U.S. is having all sorts of strange effects on retail, and, in particular, the consumer electronics market. Predictably, sales of non-essential items are down across the board. Oddly though, the uncertain financial outlook has proven to be a boon for traditional CRT television makers. Old school tube TVs overtook plasma as the second best selling television technology to LCD in the first quarter of this year, despite the fact that many major retailers have stopped carrying tube sets and most big name electronics companies have ceased manufacturing them.
This sudden turn of events has benefited budget-minded outlets like Wal-Mart and lower-end electronics companies such as RCA, which netted 46 percent of the tube television market. Worldwide CRTs continue to outsell both LCDs and plasmas, with LCDs pulling in just behind tubes with 21.1 million units sold in the first quarter of 2008 while tube sets sold 22.1 million. [Source: NY Times]
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