TV prices: the cheap deals are new models, not cuts on old ones
Around the July 4th sales, retailers and the press touted record-low TV prices. On the sets that stayed on shelves all year, US list prices did not move: the same-SKU index sat at 100. The lower prices shoppers noticed came from newer, cheaper models entering the lineup, not markdowns on existing models.
Data through early July 2026.
The claim
TV prices hit record lows during the July 4th sales.
What the shelf shows
- Like-for-like, TV list prices were flat over the year.
- The headline deals came from lower-priced new models joining the range, which pulls the average price down without any existing set getting cheaper.
How we tested it
Same-SKU list-price index: each set tracked against its own price a year earlier.
Definitions of every measure are on the methodology page.
What it means
Average-price series can show deflation that no shopper of an existing model would experience. Separating matched-SKU change from mix shift avoids reading range changes as price cuts.
How to cite
Data Purl, "TV prices: the cheap deals are new models, not cuts on old ones", Between the Receipts (BTR Vol 2), July 2026. https://data-purl.com/research/tv-prices-new-models-not-cuts
Published by Data Purl for information only. Not investment advice.
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