Abt Electronics Predicts Robust Holiday Sales Nov 8, 2004

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Despite an anticipated slowdown in retail sales, Abt Electronics and Appliances, an independent appliance and consumer electronics retailer, predicts a robust 2004 holiday season based on its improved October and first-week of November sales, both in store and on-line.

Since mid-October and the first full week of November, Abt's consumer electronic sales are reflecting a much stronger pre-holiday pace compared to the same periods in 2003.

"We typically see our seasonal holiday sales really jump the second and third week of November with the pace dramatically increasing each week until the final week of December," said Michael Abt, president. "This year, the pre-holiday sales at our store as well as our website have definitely started earlier. Our customers are telling us that they would rather be certain to get some hot products early rather than hope for last minute pricing changes and risk being empty handed due to product shortfalls."

With 2 years of consecutive price drops on LCD, plasma, and DLP TV's over 30-in, Abt predicts this to be a record year for television sales. "We expect to sell 20 to 30 percent more units this season and at the current rate of sales 50 percent more will be shipped in November than we anticipated," Mr. Abt said.

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