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Retailers Have Hope - Blu-ray Thanks Them
April 9, 2009

Well, I'm assuming that if the Blu-ray format could speak for itself, it would say hallelujah to news that retailers are starting to feel like they are pulling out of the dark days of the recession.
In some March retail reports, Wal-Mart predicts that its quarterly earnings should be strong. Target reported a lower than expected sales drop. Stores and studios report that Blu-ray title sales are up over last year, but I bet they'd be up by a significantly higher margin if more people were just shopping in general.
The timing is good as a lot of this year's hot theatricals are going to start making their way to Blu-ray, including most recent hits Monsters Vs. Aliens, Fast and the Furious, Knowing and Taken. New Blu-ray players from Panasonic and Samsung are also rolling out to retail this month.
One thing I think we're missing is Blu-ray format advertising - the most you see is a quick tagline that the title is available both in standard-definition DVD and Blu-ray. Hopefully, the optimistic retail vibe will spill over to the studios as they plan out Blu-ray strategies for the remainder of the year. 

Posted by Susanne Ault on April 9, 2009 | Comments (1)