By Nick Gelling
Product Test Journalist | Kaipūrongo Whakamātautau Hautaonga
Panasonic has stopped importing TVs into New Zealand. Once stores run out of Panasonics, they won’t be restocked. It’s an anticlimactic end to a brand that once dominated the New Zealand TV market.
It isn’t just a New Zealand thing. Panasonic yanked its TVs from Australia back in 2020 and is now pulling back in a big way worldwide.
In February, Panasonic announced it would stop manufacturing its own TVs altogether. However, it will continue to sell Panasonic-branded TVs made by Chinese company Skyworth in some countries. Skyworth is also taking over marketing and sales, leaving the Panasonic branding as little more than a stamp of quality.
Panasonic will continue to sell its many other appliances in New Zealand, including washing machines, fridges, microwaves and heat pumps.
A eulogy for a once-mighty TV brand
Panasonic entered the New Zealand market in 1971. Many of its TVs were sold under the National brand until 1987, when everything was rebranded as Panasonic.
In the early 2000s, Panasonic pioneered the flatscreen plasma TV, riding the technology’s popularity to the peak of the market. In 2010, Panasonics made up an estimated 41% of global plasma TV sales.
When cheap LCD TVs and smart connectivity began to dominate after 2010, Panasonic was slow to adapt to the new technology. It’s been losing ground ever since.
Panasonic earned Consumer NZ’s Top Brand tick for TVs as recently as 2019–2020. (Our Top Brand tick was retired in 2023 and replaced by our People’s Choice tick.)
Our independent lab testing and ownership surveys showed that Panasonic TVs began to slip in quality in the 5 years after that. However, it was still a competitive brand and one we’re sad to see depart.
Haere rā, Panasonic TVs.
Panasonic will still provide support and spare parts
If you currently own a Panasonic TV, don’t worry. The company has committed to ongoing customer service, spare parts and support for Panasonic televisions already sold in New Zealand.
Panasonic is also required to continue complying with New Zealand consumer law, including honouring your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act. If you have problems with your Panasonic TV, contact the shop you bought it from in the first instance.
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