Electronics transformations: retailers are mastering a new trade-in format
Russian retailers are mastering a new trade-in format: chains are beginning to offer the exchange of smartphones for other household appliances and electronics, including refrigerators and televisions. Retailers told Izvestia about it: until now it was possible to exchange only an old handset for a new one with additional payment. At the same time, trading platforms, which have not previously engaged in trade-in, are beginning to master it. Sellers of gadgets feel the decline in demand and are looking for tools to attract customers, trade-in is one of them, experts say. It is also beneficial to buyers: it is more reasonable to exchange a smartphone with additional payment for something new, than to keep in the closet, they add.
What can be exchanged for a smartphone on trade-in
In Russia there are new players offering buyers trade-in, as well as new formats of services for the exchange of old equipment for new with extra payment. This "Izvestia" told market participants.
In stores network "M.Video-Eldorado" will now be able to surrender smartphones of many brands and buy in offset their cost of any product. The main thing that the device was not visible defects and damage.
- Now it is possible to surrender smartphones of many brands and buy any equipment, such as a refrigerator or TV. You can also hand over several smartphones at once in trade-in and get a discount in one check for a new product, - said the deputy general director of the united retailer Denis Golyshev.
According to him, the preliminary price is calculated using an online calculator on the website. The final cost, taking into account the condition of the device is determined already in the store after evaluation. So far only smartphones can be exchanged for other equipment with additional payment, but next year the united retailer plans to accept other electronics.
Network "Sviaz.ON" also intends to launch cross-category trade-in in 2025, not limiting the buyer in the choice of product on which he can get a discount at the expense of the surrendered smartphone. This was told to "Izvestia" by its CEO Dagmara Ivanova. According to her, the company does not plan to put strict restrictions on the brands that can be exchanged.
However, trade-in in the extended format is not interesting for all market participants. For example, MTS does not consider the service of exchanging smartphones for other equipment.
- This will not be in demand among Russian consumers, as buyers within the framework of the trade-in program are interested primarily in smartphones, - the press service of the operator believes. - Besides, such format is economically inexpedient.
Trade-in is also appearing on trading platforms, which did not have such an option before. For example, in October this year Avito launched testing of this program for smartphones, said the head of its business area "Electronics and household appliances" Pavel Komarov. At the launch stage, the program is available in Moscow, St. Petersburg and 25 other cities.
- Depending on the condition of the old device, a discount on a new smartphone is calculated. In case of agreement with it, the user needs to transfer the gadget to the partner of Avito, which carries out trade-in. After offline verification of the smartphone, the buyer can get a new device with a warranty," he explained.
Why sellers need to exchange old equipment for new
- We analyzed the behavior of our buyers and realized that many people want to get a new smartphone immediately when selling the old one, without spending time to save up for the purchase, - said Pavel Komarov.
Trade-in is a solution that helps buyers to close their needs faster and sellers to increase sales, he believes.
Until now, Russians could only swap smartphones with additional payment - old for new. Samsung for the second year in a row remains the leader among the smartphones given in trade-in: from January to October 2024, the devices of this brand accounted for a third of all transactions under the program, told "Izvestia" in the press service of "Megafon". Xiaomi and iPhone are also in the top three: their share among the smartphones traded-in amounted to 22% and 18%. At the same time, the share of Apple for the same period last year was only 11%, according to the cellular operator.
Denis Kuskov, General Director of TelecomDaily, notes that trade-in is an attractive tool for buyers: it is more expedient to exchange an old smartphone for a new one with additional payment than to keep it in the closet. And not everyone has the time and desire to sell old equipment on the Internet, the expert says.
At the same time, due to the growth of the Central Bank rate and various macroeconomic problems, market participants in general expect that the demand for equipment will decline: cross-category trade-in may become one of the tools to support sales, does not exclude the expert. Now in Russia are developing service centers, which replaced the services of departed electronics brands: it is profitable for them to buy up old smartphones, bring them to marketable form, and then return to the market used devices - the activation of trade-in benefits their business, the expert believes.
Cross-brand trade-in is interesting to a rational buyer, because for him it is a reduction in cost, believes the leading analyst of Mobile Research Group Eldar Murtazin. Now the average price of a smartphone is growing, people want to save money, but at the same time not to buy used gadgets, he said. It is unprofitable to sell a smartphone that is a year or two old, but the one who has a device three years old or more, the sale is interesting, he is ready to sell the gadget for an average discount, summarized the expert.
