TV sales are expected to climb to a shipment peak by the end of November as consumers in North America prepare for Black Friday and the year-end holidays, according to industry sources.

Plummeting sales in first-half 2011 caused TV vendors to avoid stockpiling by keeping their inventory levels low, the sources said. The increased TV demand because of the holiday season is making vendors seek more TVs from suppliers, sending TV shipments on the rise.

Sources also attributed the rising shipments to a price war in the TV market, pointing out that pricing of 32-inch LCD TVs has been cut to less than US$200.

Vizio and some Korea-based vendors have been sourcing TV components since the third quarter to meet the possible rising TV demand at year end, the sources said.