Electronics, Flat-Panel Televisions High On Holiday Gift ListsElectronics, Flat-Panel Televisions High On Holiday Gift Lists

Flat-panel televisions and electronics will be popular items this holiday season.

As retailers gear up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Consumer Reports said that LCD and plasma televisions are gaining in popularity among holiday shoppers. Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, marks the point when most retailers start to generate an annual profit. Cyber Monday has become a big holiday shopping day online.

Shopper's number one gift on their list for Black Friday is clothing (79%), followed by electronics (70%), according to Consumer Reports. Ironically, clothing was the most disappointing gift reported by recipients last year.

For those buying electronics, flat-screen televisions are high on the list.

Nearly two in 10 consumers plan to buy a flat-panel television as a gift for the holidays or after the holidays. LCD sales still lead plasma screen sales (54% compared to 29%), but 16% of consumers said they did not know which type they would choose.

Forty-seven percent of consumers plan to buy televisions with screens that are 42" or larger, while 15% said they will consider sets that are 50" or larger.

Among married couples, men said they will buy flat-panel televisions for better picture (44%) while woman are attracted to freeing up some floor space (27%). Last year, 54% of men wanted screens 42" or larger, while 36% of women said they wanted large screens. This year, nearly half of both men (49%) and women (45%) want screen sizes 42" or larger.

Last year, Consumer Reports found that 35% of consumers planned to spend $1,500 or more on their flat-panels; but this year the number of those who plan to spend that much has fallen to 24%.