Costco Shopping List: 5 lbs. of Mayonnaise, 1,000 Paper Towels, and a Flat-screen TV

Today's issue of The Wall Street Journal discusses the flat-panel TV upstart Vizio in the context of emerging consumer electronics companies gaining market share in certain markets (such as high-def TVs) where prices are now starting to fall dramatically. Our own research (from our recently-completed study The Changing Consumer Electronics Purchase Process) indicates that Vizio is doing well, and its presence at the warehouse stores - such as Costo and Sam's Clu - doesn't hurt, given their penchant for offering rock-bottom pricing. In 2007, 13% of buyers of flat screen TVs bought them at these retailers.