Samsung targets 55 million in TV sales this year

LAS VEGAS ― Samsung Electronics said Thursday that it has set its TV sales goal at 55 million units for this year, as it strives to find a new business model in an industry that has been slowing down for years.

Yoon Boo-keun, president of consumer electronics at Samsung, said the firm hopes to sell more TVs than the 51.3 million it sold last year.

He also said that Samsung, the world’s top TV maker, did not see any competition in the industry, but it believes new competition will rise in other industries such as the mobile industry.

“The year of 2013 is the year of creating a new breakthrough in the market and there is a high possibility that a fresh business model will be established this year,” he told local reporters on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show.

“We’re devising measures in response to the mobile industry because we possibly see competition there.”

In terms of its two 55-inch OLED TVs, the firm is currently adding finishing touches as it plans for the launch in the first half of this year.

“We can roll them out right now, but we’re still thinking about the values and the consumer’s points for purchase since they’re highly priced premium TV sets. They’re currently actively in the works with Samsung Display.”

At the CES, Samsung revealed a new curved OLED TV for the first time as well as the previously announced flat model. It also showcased the 110-inch Ultra High Definition TV as well as another 85-inch using the UHD display technology.

Along with such industrial innovations, the company also unveiled the 2013 Smart TV F8000, its flagship model that will be launched in the first quarter of this year.

The event takes place as the firm aims to maintain its top position in the global TV industry in 2015 to mark its 10th consecutive year as the industry leader.

“It took us 35 years to obtain the No. 1 spot in the U.S. market, but the Samsung smart TV has rewritten history by recording more than 40 percent in monthly market share four times last year,” he said.

On another front, the company’s printing business, which has been transferred to the consumer electronics division as of this year, will become one of Samsung’s most focused areas to take the lead in the smart enterprise industry.

“We plan to actively nurture the business-to-business sector to secure future growth engines that will lead us to sustainable growth in the unpredictable IT environment,” said Yoon.

By Cho Ji-hyun, Korea Herald correspondent
(sharon@heraldcorp.com)