OREANDA-NEWS  Sales of headphones and other wearable devices in Russia may fall both in the first quarter and in 2023 as a whole, according to electronics distributors. Kommersant's sources attribute the situation to the growth of the market share of counterfeit devices, which began last summer. The equipment of "little-known brands" has already occupied almost half of the Russian market, and some electronics stores recognize its "visual similarity" with the products of popular brands.

The drop in demand for wearable electronics (headphones, smart watches, fitness trackers) in the Russian market by the end of 2023 may reach 20% in unit terms, the distributor diHouse told Kommersant. The company attributes the trend to a reduction in the supply of popular brands, while new brands from China, introduced to the market after the departure of a number of electronics manufacturers from Russia, satisfy demand only in the lower and middle price segments: "Buyers are still tuned to the products of well-known manufacturers." The shutdown of Apple and Samsung in the Russian Federation has greatly affected the sales of wearable electronics, and in the first quarter of 2023 they may fall in monetary terms by 20%, the Group of Companies "F+ tech — Marvel" confirms.

The drop in demand for devices may also be due to the fact that the market is oversaturated with counterfeit goods.

So, according to the interlocutor of Kommersant in the Russian electronics distributor, the demand for headphones and portable speakers in Russia is declining due to consumer fears of buying a fake. Such expectations, according to him, were formed after the growth of the share of fakes by the end of the summer of 2022: "After the departure of world manufacturers, genuine products were washed out of the market, and fake products by the end of the year equaled it in price."