Cheap PC: gadget prices in Russia decreased by 10-20%

Prices for laptops, smartphones and other gadgets decreased by 10-20%. The trend began to be fixed at the beginning of the year, but it continued in March and April, electronics sellers told Izvestia. The biggest reduction in the cost of laptops is up to 20%: devices are getting cheaper against the background of the strengthening of the ruble, expectations of goods at a new price and clearing warehouses of previously purchased equipment, experts explain.

How much has electronics become cheaper

Sources close to retailers and distributors, as well as experts, told Izvestia that gadget prices in the first half of spring decreased by 10-20% compared to the winter months of 2025. The cost of headphones, laptops, smartphones, and more has dropped about that much, said a source close to one of the electronics importers.

The range of equipment price reductions in the first half of spring is indeed like this — perhaps in some categories the cost is growing, but almost imperceptibly, another source close to one of the retailers agrees.

According to Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, prices in the most popular electronics categories have decreased by about 15% on average over the past month and a half. The expert noted that this is a continuation of the trend that emerged in January-February.

The depreciation of the dollar led to the fact that at first small sellers reduced the cost, and then large ones had to follow their example in order to prevent sales from stopping, which already leave much to be desired against the background of declining credit availability, explained Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. Hence the countless sales, promotions, and discounts at electronics stores. In addition, equipment purchased at new prices is beginning to arrive in Russia — warehouse space for it needs to be freed up, he added.

Izvestia's interlocutors highlight laptops in particular — in March and early April, compared with January and February, their prices fell by up to 20%. Now many retail chains are forced to sell these gadgets purchased at an increased dollar exchange rate at the end of 2024 at a loss, complains a source of Izvestia in one of the vendors. At the same time, shipments of goods purchased after the strengthening of the ruble are already being delivered to the Russian Federation, and warehouses and shelves in stores need to be vacated, he points out.

Blown away: Smartphone sales have collapsed in Russia

Their sales decreased by more than 20%, which is one of the largest drops in the history of the market.

According to the source, purchases before the new year turned out to be excessive: due to the high Central Bank rate, buyers' access to loans is now difficult, and consumers for whom buying a new laptop is not critical are waiting, hoping for further strengthening of the ruble and lower prices, he claims.

In March and early April 2025, compared with previous months, the retail cost of laptops decreased by up to 20%, said Irina Babina, head of the Notebook business at diHouse.

However, as noted by Artur Makhlayuk, a business analyst at Marvel Distribution, there is no talk of a general drop in laptop prices.

"This is not a steady trend, but rather indicates marketing activities or the sale of retailers," he says.

In "M.Video-Eldorado is associated with a decrease in the average cost due to the renewal of the range, the strengthening of the ruble exchange rate, changes in supply conditions and widespread promotional activity, which provides additional availability of devices for customers.

According to the commercial director of "Refrigerator.<url>" by Alexey Pogudalov, the trend towards price correction is due, firstly, to the stabilization of the exchange rate and, as a result, the depreciation of the dollar. And secondly, there was some excess of distributors' stocks against the background of a general decline in consumer activity in the market, he told Izvestia.

— In the first quarter of 2025, we noted a decrease in sales of about 10% compared to the same period last year. This is due to the slowdown in economic growth caused by government actions to curb inflation. We see a reorientation of customers' funds into savings and deposits, as well as a decrease in the availability of credit funds compared to last year," he said.

Wildberries told Izvestia that prices on the marketplace are determined solely by the seller, but the company has actually seen a drop in the cost of laptops, tablets and smartphones in recent weeks.

— At the same time, we do not note a clear link to a category or to a specific model. The decline is partly explained by the strengthening of the ruble. Exchange rate fluctuations have the greatest impact on products such as smartphones (in particular, Apple, Samsung), tablets, wireless headphones, as well as niche household appliances, such as Dyson, they added.

Spring is the usual "off—season" for laptop sales, this type of equipment can not be changed or updated for a long time if repairs are not required, said a representative of Svyaz.HIM." According to him, the expectations of some players of the investment demand for expensive equipment as a whole have not been fulfilled, sellers are under pressure from the high key rate and the need for their own funds for new purchases.

Will prices decrease further

Some retail chains are now selling laptops at a loss, Eldar Murtazin agrees. In the first quarter, compared to the same period in 2024, sales of these devices fell by almost a third, he claims. Many gadgets were purchased and imported into the Russian Federation in December at a rate of about 105 rubles per dollar, but in recent weeks it has been about 85 rubles and small companies have begun to import laptops to the Russian Federation at a new cost, the expert noted.

But large retail chains lack such flexibility, the expert says. The decrease in laptop prices is the result of competition between sellers of different sizes and formats in the Russian market, which arose after the introduction of parallel imports, he added.

Prices for electronics will continue to decrease if the geopolitical situation improves, Denis Kuskov believes. In this case, companies that have left the Russian Federation will most likely begin to return to the market, which will entail the "straightening" of supply chains, that is, the exclusion of intermediaries from them, as well as the normalization of payment schemes. All this, along with the strengthening of the ruble, may lead to a further reduction in the cost of electronics, he believes.

The right course: prices for imported electronics began to decline in Russia

Is it worth waiting for a decrease in the cost of other foreign goods due to the strengthening of the ruble

The average price reduction in the market is due to small sellers, whose share is quite high — they react faster to the strengthening of the ruble, said Sergey Polovnikov, head of the Content-Review project. They will be stable until the summer, and then, if the dollar exchange rate does not rise, the cost may decrease by a maximum of 10%, the expert believes. It is possible that by autumn there may even be a slight upward correction, he added.

— Further price drops from suppliers should not be expected, — says Irina Babina, head of the Laptops department at diHouse. — At the same time, demand dropped by 40-50%. The main reasons include the cessation of sales on credit, which usually account for up to 30% of all electronics purchases. In addition, many people prefer to keep money on deposits due to the high key interest rate, as a result of which they postpone the purchase of new equipment.

In the coming months, the price adjustment may be influenced by macroeconomic factors, including a stronger ruble. At the same time, it is worth noting that the run—up to the May holidays is a time of the traditional decline in consumer activity, added Artur Makhlayuk.