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Kmart: We're Purple
Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 09:00 AM ETTags: Kmart (all tags)
Responding to reports that it would stock only one standalone high-def disc player this holiday (an HD DVD player), Kmart says it has no plans to choose to sides in the high-def format war.
In a statement released late Thursday, Kmart VP Jonathan Magasanik said the following:
There have been numerous statements in the media today, attributed to Toshiba, indicating exclusive support for the HD DVD format in Kmart stores. These statements are false. Kmart intends to support both the HD DVD and Blu-ray platforms, and has no plans to support either platform exclusively.
Kmart's dual-format pledge comes on the heels of widespread reports that it had chosen to stock Toshiba's HD-A3 player as its only stand-alone high-def disc player this holiday season.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the retailer's statement meant it planned to stock stand-alone Blu-ray players alongside the Toshiba deck, but as we've previously reported, the chain already sells the Blu-ray enabled PlayStation 3 in its gaming department.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Kmart Goes HD DVD; Toshiba Says Recent Price Cuts Retail-Driven
Kmart Goes HD DVD; Toshiba Says Recent Price Cuts Retail-Driven
Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 02:00 PM ETTags: High-Def Retailing, Kmart, Toshiba (all tags)
Hot on the heels of a highly-publicized series of price cuts for its HD-A2 player, Toshiba says Kmart has chosen to stock its 1080i HD DVD player as its only stand-alone high-def disc player this holiday season.
In an interview with Home Media Magazine, Toshiba spokesperson Jodi Sally explained that Kmart made the decision based on the entry-level player's low price. A visit to a Southern California Kmart confirmed the news, although the retailer is also selling the Blu-ray enabled PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 HD DVD Player in its gaming department.
Meanwhile, Toshiba says the rash of recent price cuts for its HD-A2 Player (which recently hit sub-$200 price levels at several top retailers) were retail-driven.
"There was no official move on our MSRP, but I’m happy to see the strong sales momentum on our players," Sally told HMM. "We experienced a great lift in player sales when 'Transformers' was released, and the strong momentum continues."
Sally said third-party research indicated Toshiba’s market share of next-generation players on both formats was now at about 60%. She went on to say that the format had experienced a significant unit upturn with sales of HD DVD-enabled PC laptops.
See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.
- Related links:
- Toshiba HD DVD Player in Midst of Price War [Home Media Magazine]
- Discs mentioned in this article: (Click for specs and reviews)
- Transformers (2007) (HD DVD)
- Earlier on High-Def Digest:
- Circuit City, Amazon Join $198 HD DVD Player Club (Oct 29, 2007)
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