Vizio, which made a name for itself seemingly overnight by dedicating its HD product sales to big-box discount outlets like Costco and Wal-Mart, said in its latest third-quarter report its sales now account for more than 10 percent of all flat-panel sales in North America.
The Irvine, Calif.-based firm said it now shares the number three position in flat-panel TV sales with Sharp. Samsung continues to lead the pack, with Sony as runner-up.
While some HD brands have lowered their price points (albeit temporarily) below Vizio and shipped to retailers for the holidays sooner, in some cases, Vizio said for the year it had growth, despite a dismal third quarter for the industry. (It sold more than 810,000 sets in the United States and Canada.)
Vizio, whose newer top-of-line product is the mid-sized LCD 1080p/120 Hz unit in various sizes, is projecting a quarter-to-quarter jump of 50 percent for the final quarter of 2008 (which is a relatively modest projection, given how poorly October proved to be for all concerned).
Vizio said it uses a unique "just in time" inventory model which allows it to tailor its shipping needs with a faster turnaround than most other shipments modes.
