Price cuts of up to 40 percent have recently been sparked on high-end TVs such as liquid crystal and plasma TVs, the largest price reduction since last year, Wednesday's Laodong Daily reported.

According to several local home appliance hypermarkets such as Gome and Yongle, most color TVs saw price cuts of more than 20 percent, especially for luxury models.

Price of a 30-inch liquid crystal TV declined from around 13,000 yuan (US$1,566) to below 10,000 yuan, with that of Xoceco and Changhong brand models down nearly 40 percent from last week to 9,000 yuan.

The price slump before the Spring Festival holiday attracts many consumers to purchase luxury TVs, said an industry analyst.

In order to help high-end home appliances develop further, retailers must improve their services for customers, the analyst stressed.

(Shanghai Daily February 5, 2005)